Getting What You Want At The End Of Life – Lessons From A Dying Man
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Getting What You Want At The End Of Life – Lessons From A Dying Man

Byadmin2

Many people die in ways, and even in locations, that go against their preferences. They don’t want to be put on ventilators and, yet, spend their last days in intensive care units tethered to breathing machines. They don’t want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and, yet, receive full-on “codes” when their hearts stop.

Much of this unwanted care could be avoided if patients (aka: “people”) discussed their treatment preferences with their clinicians.

American Physicians Lack Diversity— Here’s One Way to Change That
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American Physicians Lack Diversity— Here’s One Way to Change That

Byadmin

African Americans make up 13% of the country’s population, but only 4% of American physicians are black. This lack of racial diversity in the profession is tragic, denying this prestigious career to many worthy people and undermining the health of many African Americans, who are more likely to receive important medical services when they’re cared for by black…

Time To Ban Kid-Friendly Flavors For E-Cigarettes
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Time To Ban Kid-Friendly Flavors For E-Cigarettes

Bypeter

Cinnamon. Buttered popcorn. Strawberry and banana. Yummy tastes and smells that have lingered in my TV room, after my teenage son and his friends finish vaping. E-cigarette companies like Juul are creating flavors designed to lure young customers, following a tradition established by their cigarette-manufacturing predecessors. For a while, the Trump administration appeared poised to…

High Healthcare Costs — Are Insurance Premiums a Cause or an Effect?
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High Healthcare Costs — Are Insurance Premiums a Cause or an Effect?

Byadmin

In 2010, the state of Rhode Island decided to tackle high healthcare costs. It did so by requiring insurers to meet affordability standards. The plan worked, but not for the reasons you probably suspect. Let’s start with what Rhode Island’s standards look like. It required several things of insurers: Premium caps – with annual inflation equal…

Angry Your Doctor Won’t Tell You What That Test Costs? You Should Be!
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Angry Your Doctor Won’t Tell You What That Test Costs? You Should Be!

Byadmin

Steve B. wasn’t going to be fooled twice. He’d recently seen an ear, nose, and throat specialist for a “tickle in the throat” that wouldn’t go away. He’d forked over a co-pay at check-in, but then the doctor said he needed “to put a scope down there” and check his throat. He later received a…

Is Your Boss Discriminating Against You Because You Smoke?

Byadmin

Obamacare gave employers permission to charge smokers up to 50% more for health insurance, as a way to incentivize healthier behavior. But to make sure smokers had a fair chance to avoid these penalties, the law required employers to provide tobacco cessation programs to anyone facing such a surcharge. Almost half of the companies who charge smokers…

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Tobacco is Taking Over the World!

Byadmin

We’ve done a lot of things in the United States over the last few decades to curb tobacco consumption. We’ve warned people cigarettes will kill them, created persuasive ad campaigns to scare people away from cigarettes, and added a hefty tax to the product. As a result, cigarette use in United States is lower than…

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Are Doctors Ready to Talk about Health Care Costs with Patients?

Byadmin

While I was on vacation, I spoke with reporter about a topic near and dear to my heart – importance of getting clinicians to talk about health care costs with their patients. The reporter put together a very nice piece on the topic, which I thought I would share with you: Doctors Aren’t Grasping For…

Should Death Row Inmates Be Able to Donate Their Organs Before They Die?

Byadmin

Several people have asked me lately whether I think that death row inmates should be able to donate their organs before they die. In effect, to commit suicide through organ donation. Culminating in donation of the heart, of course. They are going to be executed anyway, why not bring benefits to others en route? I see…