December 27th, 2009 by Richard Cooper, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
Tags: Geographic Distribution, Medicare, Open Letter, Pelosi, Poor, Reid, Senate Healthcare Bill
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Provisions in the Senate and House health care reform bills propose to reallocate resources based on geographic differences in Medicare spending. While well intended, they will penalize providers who care for the poor and impair access for these vulnerable patients.
A reallocation of resources to lower-cost states has been endorsed by members of Congress from states with lower Medicare spending who believe that, by receiving less from Medicare, their states are currently being penalized for being “efficient.” However, it is not efficiency that accounts for their lower spending. It is less poverty and better health status. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at PHYSICIANS and HEALTH CARE REFORM Commentaries and Controversies*
December 27th, 2009 by Stanley Feld, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
Tags: Commodity, Costs, Government Takeover, Healthcare reform, Obamacare, Rebuttle
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Dr. Val Jones publishes Get Better Health an excellent healthcare website. https://getbetterhealth.com/
It is composed of a selection of many of her chosen healthcare bloggers. Val publishes blog entries of many contributors in her network daily. Val published my December 19th entry. It generated the following comment.
“Comment:
I am surprised that a diabetes doctor let his politics permeate his opinion of the AHRQ? We know that over 50% of the time patients don’t receive the standard of care and I would be interested to know what the numbers are like in his practice? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System*
December 25th, 2009 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion
Tags: Begat, Christmas, Emergency Medicine
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Often as not, the miseries of our friends, patients, co-workers or family began with other miseries. The Bible is full of ‘begats.’ Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat his 12 sons.
Pain is similar; abuse begat depression. Loss begat alcoholism. Loneliness begat PID. Ridicule begat drug abuse. Ignorance begat incapacity. Infidelity begat sorrow. Fatigue begat anger. Neglect begat rage. Abuse begat indifference.
On the other hand, love begat happiness. Children begat purpose. Knowledge begat excellence. Concern for humanity begat medical science. Love for others begat long call nights and long surgeries.
Love for country begat sacrifice. Love for wives, husbands and children begat fidelity.
Love for mankind begat Jesus in the manger, Jesus on the cross.
Life is a series of ‘begats.’
Edwin
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
December 24th, 2009 by Harriet Hall, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
Tags: Acupuncture, CAM, Chiropractic, Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Disease, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, One True Cause, Pseudoscience, Science
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Chiropractors, homeopaths, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and other alternative medicine practitioners constantly criticize mainstream medicine for “only treating the symptoms,” while alternative medicine allegedly treats “the underlying causes” of disease.
Nope. Not true. Exactly backwards. Think about it. When you go to a doctor with a fever, does he just treat the symptom? No, he tries to figure out what’s causing the fever and if it’s pneumonia, he identifies which microbe is responsible and gives you the right drugs to treat that particular infection. If you have abdominal pain, does the doctor just give you narcotics to treat the symptom of pain? No, he tries to figure out what’s causing the pain and if he determines you have acute appendicitis he operates to remove your appendix. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
December 23rd, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: AHA, American Heart Association, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology, Industry, Meetings, Scientific Sessions, Unintended Consequences
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Are medical conferences becoming obsolete? I think so.
It was apparent to me at the Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions meeting and now a similar trend was noticed by Dr. Steven Sedlis at this year’s American Heart Association meeting:
It felt like a ghost town. I ran into Ira Schulman, my medicine resident at Bellevue when I was a third year medical student; we looked at one another and simultaneously blurted out “where is everybody?”
. . .
There are probably numerous reasons for plummeting attendance at AHA. The economy, the on-line publication of trial results prior to presentation, the ubiquity of conference calls, e-mail strings and yes blogs that keep one in regular contact with colleagues throughout the country and the world without the need for face-to-face encounters are just some of the obvious causes.
Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
