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About Me
I am a physician and behavioral scientist. My research and writing explore the quirks in human nature that influence our lives -- the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness, and the way our society functions. (more...)- Have a question or just want to get in touch? Email me at peter.ubel@duke.edu
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Tag Archives: Medicare
Found: Billions of Wasted Medicare Dollars
It is well known that Medicare expenditures threaten the financial solvency of the U.S. government. And it is pretty well agreed upon that some of our Medicare spending goes towards wasteful medical care. But which medical care is wasteful and … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy, Medical Decision Making
Tagged colon cancer, health care costs, heart disease, medical decision making, Medicare
How Medicare Is Punishing Hospitals That Care For Poor People
Such a no-brainer: If patients who receive care at Hospital A are more likely to get readmitted to the hospital 10, 20 or 30 days after discharge than patients in Hospital B, then Hospital A must be doing something wrong. … Continue reading
Posted in Health & Well-being, Health Policy, Medical Decision Making
Tagged healthcare policy, Medicare
Healthcare Versus Other Social Spending
Here is another great picture from the people at Vox. It shows the United States in the middle of OECD countries, when it comes to spending on social services, like healthcare, unemployment, and the like. Despite being in the middle, … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged healthcare costs, healthcare policy, Medicare
Inappropriate Medicare Incentives Lead to Unnecessary Subspecialty Procedures
Sometimes people flat out need cameras shoved down into their stomachs. A long history of reflux disease, for example, could prompt a gastroenterologist to perform an “upper endoscopy”—to run a thin tube down the patient’s throat in order to view … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged Medicare
Are Bundled Payments the Future of US Healthcare?
I spoke recently with a reporter from the USA Today, who ended up writing a nice article on bundled payments in healthcare. I promise to return to this topic on future posts. But for now, let me whet your appetite … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged health policy, healthcare costs, Medicare
Look How Much Medicare Spends after Patients Leave the Hospital
As readers of this blog know, Medicare costs loom large in our nation’s future. If we do not find a way to control Medicare spending, it’s hard to imagine any way to remain a solvent nation. As we continue to … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged healthcare costs, Medicare
Is Medicare Being Too Generous To Rural Healthcare Providers?
If you live in the rural U.S., you probably face relatively limited access to the wonders of American healthcare. There won’t be as many physicians per capita offering you their services. This paucity of healthcare professionals will be especially … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged health policy, Medicare
The Biggest Government Health Care Spender Since LBJ Was…Ronald Reagan?
Many readers will recognize Ronald Reagan’s famous maxim that: “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Some will even recognize his vehement opposition to Lyndon Johnson’s Medicare proposal, before the program was passed into law: … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged books I've been reading, health policy, Medicare, US history
Why JFK Failed to Pass Medicare
In a late night phone call during a foreign policy crisis, Kennedy expressed disdain for domestic policy, showing the kind of attitude that doomed later efforts to reform the U.S. healthcare system: “It really is true that foreign affairs is … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged favorite quotes, health policy, Medicare, US history
Medicare and the Desegregation of American Hospitals
As anyone who has followed the Obamacare roller coaster over the past 4 years knows, passing legislation is only the first step in reforming a healthcare system. Since Obamacare came into law, we have been consumed by battles over how … Continue reading
Posted in Health Policy
Tagged health policy, Medicare, US history