The Stick or the Carrot
I’ve often written about the dangers of letting the government insert itself too deep into our healthcare. It’s not because our government is evil −it’s because the goals of government are not always aligned with those of the people it governs.
To Vote or Not to Vote – Should Not Be the Question
In earlier blogs I’ve urged people to contact their lawmakers to tell them how they feel about proposed legislation or other rules that affect them. It’s no secret that lawmakers are interested in what you think because you vote.
Was Senator Sanders at the Hearing to Hear – or to Be Heard?
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing last Wednesday on the price of prescription drugs.
It’s National Heart Month – And It’s Not About Valentine’s Day
Heart-healthy means adopting a lifestyle that helps reduce the risk of heart disease. We’ve all heard the standard instructions doctors give to people that have suffered heart problems.
Value-Based Healthcare – A Winning Formula
Many of my blogs have talked about how perverse incentives have driven parts of the healthcare process away from serving the patient and toward serving and rewarding other participants in the process.
National Glaucoma Awareness Month – Hope for the Future
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and, as I said last January, glaucoma is the secret sight-stealing disease.
CES - An Amazing Future for Healthcare
The yearly extravaganza called CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the place where the new computer run devices and the accompanying software are revealed. It is held each year in Las Vegas Neveda.
It’s Not Rocket Science, or Is it?
It seems to me that the older I get the more things I don’t understand. This is not a new phenomenon; I think every generation since the beginning of time has felt this way, but it seems that things change so fast that it’s tough to understand how these new things will affect my life.
The Ghost of Healthcare Past and Future
This has been a banner year for changes to our healthcare. We began the year by trying to return to our pre COVID status, and it hasn’t been easy.
Ideas on Becoming a More Powerful Voter
One of the greatest attributes of the Constitution is its reliance on checks and balances that spread the power to run our country among the three branches.
It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over – The Final Days of Open Enrollment
That great intuitive saying was muttered by the underappreciated, hall of fame baseball player Yogi Berra as he sought to communicate the unique aspect of baseball that allowed a baseball team to score multiple runs as long as they didn’t make the third out in the ninth inning.
Just Listening Isn’t Enough
Last week marked the end of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Patient-Focused Listening Sessions.
Business As Usual? – Not This Time!
The end of the year usually brings an abundance of legislative initiatives at an accelerated if not frenetic pace. The must pass funding bills offer the ideal platform for amendments and additions, especially for healthcare focused legislation.
Thanksgiving – A Time for Family and for Learning
Next week is Thanksgiving, and it might be the most normal Thanksgiving since 2020. I remember, as I’m sure you do, that the COVID Thanksgivings were not fun.
Alzheimer’s – It Impacts More Than Just the Patient
This month is Alzheimer’s awareness month, and I’m going to focus my blog on someone who is often forgotten in the battle of this awful disease – the primary caregiver.