According to a Kaiser Health News / NPR investigation, 100 million Americans are saddled with medical debt. This includes 41% of adults. KHN reports that more than half of adults have gone into debt to pay for medical bills within the past five years. One quarter of those with medical debt owe more than $5,000, while 20% never expect to pay it off. Going into debt to pay medical bills is no worse than indebtedness for a car, house, a boat or designer clothes. However, much of this debt is despite having health coverage of some type.
Author: Devon Herrick
How a Needless Test Starts a Cascade of More Unnecessary Tests
A man came into the Denver VA hospital complaining of a painful hernia near his stomach. His doctor knew he needed surgery immediately but another doctor had ordered a chest-ray, which is standard practice. The X-ray revealed a shadow, possibly a mass (cancer) or more likely a harmless cluster of blood vessels. A follow-up CT scan showed his lung was fine but found something suspicious on his adrenal gland. A second CT scan cleared his adrenal gland but by this time two months had gone by. It would be another four months due to scheduling conflicts before the man finally got his surgery. This “cascade of care” is what results when one test is ambiguous resulting in additional tests that ultimately find nothing was wrong in the first place. These unnecessary tests and procedures are what medical research refers to as “low-value care.” There are no clinical benefits from low-value services and potential for harm.
Dazed and Confused: The Senior Drug Problem Nobody Talks About
America has a drug problem but it’s probably not what you think. When we think of the drug abuse we often assume it is younger people who’re experimenting with opioids or illicit substances and became addicted. Less well known is how overly medicated seniors are with a variety of prescription and over-the-counter drugs for all manner of conditions.
Anxious, Depressed? There’s an App for that
Covid and the lockdowns increased self-reported cases of anxiety and depression but patients were unable to meet therapists face-to-face. All forms of telemedicine rose in 2020 and 2021 including psychotherapy. Covid jump started online and telephone-based metal health counseling. As a result, therapist and patient began connecting through apps.