The status quo for medical malpractice insurance is no longer good enough. While we must always prioritize the need for accountability when it comes to medical malpractice, we must also consider how challenges like increased premiums, rising costs and new risks are impacting providers and consequentially patients. The post It’s Time for Medical Malpractice Insurance…
This volume of the Monitor explores the growing opposition to water fluoridation, how misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines is influencing public health policies and trust in health authorities, and the balance between free speech and mitigating health misinformation.
Chuanzi Yue and Marisa Miraldo argue in a recent Health Affairs Forefront piece that the answer is ‘yes’, but I am highly skeptical of their claim. Will IRA cause firms to allocate funds from marketing to R&D? One point they make is that the IRA’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program will reduce pharmaceutical expenses on…
Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay for it out-of-pocket. Her doctor and several pharmacies turned her down because she was below the recommended…
Sentara Health invested $11 million into smartphones for its nurses, equipping them with HIPAA-compliant devices to streamline communication, increase time at the bedside and improve patient outcomes. The program has been going on for a little more than a year — and Amy Rosa, the health system’s chief nursing informatics officer, says the initiative is…
In April 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance encouraging states to apply for a new Section 1115 demonstration opportunity to test transition-related strategies to support community reentry for people who are incarcerated. As of August 19, 2024, CMS has approved Section 1115 reentry waiver requests from 11 states, while 13…
AI-powered documentation tools have proven successful in alleviating clinicians’ administrative burden and burnout. As these tools continue to evolve, healthcare leaders want to see more tech that can help surface the right data at the right time, as well as tools that can help speed up billing processes. The post AI Scribes Have Proven Their…
Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina last month, wrecked a Baxter International factory that produced 60 percent of the country’s IV fluids, according to the American Hospital Association. The company is rationing its products, and some hospitals have delayed or canceled surgeries that require large amounts of IV hydration. Among the worst-hit patients are those…
Each year, Medicare beneficiaries have an opportunity to make changes to how they receive their Medicare coverage during the nearly 8-week annual open enrollment period. This brief answers key questions about the Medicare open enrollment period and Medicare coverage options.
The routine is familiar for most people: When checking in for an appointment with a doctor or other health care provider, patients typically complete and sign a pile of paperwork, including a form that contains some version of the statement, “I agree to pay for all charges not covered by my insurance company.” Patients may…