When I see my healthcare provider, I trust that they have my best interests at heart. I bet you do, too. But what is the basis for our trust in them? “Duty of Care” is …
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Category: Healthcare Policy
Let’s Get the Data to Deliver Healthcare Safely
After numerous accidents and deaths, in 1976, the Federal Aviation Administration launched the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to collect data on all errors, mishaps, and mistakes in commercial and private aviation. From pilot captains …
Continue readingMiddlemen Win Big From Healthcare Spending
For 17% of GDP, we receive shorter lifespans and higher infant mortality. While most ire is directed at hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, middlemen or intermediaries – insurers, pharmacies, drug distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) …
Continue readingTake Care of Them So They Can Take Care of Us
For almost three years, they have been there. Our doctors and nurses and therapists and administrative staff, accepting the unknown personal risk to their health to be sure we got the care we needed. Now …
Continue readingFree Markets: Cause and Solution for Drug Shortages
A recent Duke University study identifies the cause of drug shortages and proposes potential solutions. Free markets, which limit profits from generic medications, weaken the supply pipeline. Adjustment in those incentives through regulation can boost …
Continue readingFollowing our Duty of Care
(Download a PDF Copy of this Document) The principle of “Duty of Care” is a pivotal framework that governs the conduct and responsibilities of healthcare providers. This obligation extends beyond ethics, constituting a legal mandate …
Continue readingFor Want of a Nail…
The old proverb “For Want of a Nail,” having numerous variations over several centuries, reminds us that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences. Two inexpensive cancer drugs, costing under $25 …
Continue readingDefinition of Health Insurance: Confusion, Obfuscation, Bewilderment
The 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance revealed a mixed report on patient views on their health insurance. The survey polled persons covered by employer-sponsored plans (ESI), Medicare, Medicaid, and …
Continue readingDeadly Medication Shortages: Time for a Fix
(Download a PDF of this article) The United States is currently grappling with a critical issue that threatens the health and well-being of its citizens: a shortage of essential medications. This crisis has been escalating …
Continue readingLook to the EU for Generic Versions of Expensive Brand Name Drugs
U.S. Patent protection for drugs lasts 20 years, although most pharmaceutical companies only get the medication to market after as much as half of that time has already elapsed. This exclusive period to sell the …
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