There is a conspiracy of sorts to learn everything possible about you and sell your information to those who may profit from it. That information includes information about your health concerns. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was supposed to make personal health information confidential. We’ve all likely experienced being told by a doctor’s office staff they can’t receive email because it could possibly violate HIPAA, since a third party may be able to intercept it. (I’m not sure why the fax machine is seemingly exempt.) Yet, despite these precautions there is a thriving business in personal health data.
Author: Devon Herrick
Montana Considers Expanding Scope of Practice for Physician Assistants
A few days ago I wrote about that Montana is considering expanding pharmacists’ dispensing authority without a physician’s prescription. The following is what I wrote:
Covid Made the Doctor Shortage Worse but More Residencies Would Help
During the early months of the Covid pandemic many doctors would not treat the virus. My wife’s doctor, for instance, had a sign that read she didn’t treat Covid and patients with Covid or Covid symptoms were barred from entry. I heard similar stories from a number of people. Many medical offices were closed and isolating at home seemed to be the most common therapy until patients became sick enough to visit an emergency room or qualified for a hospital bed. Later in the pandemic as more was known about the virus doctors began experimenting with treatments.
State of the Union Missed the Mark on Health Care
President Joe Biden gave his State of the Union address on Tuesday and health care was a prominent theme. Among others, he called for a fix to unaffordable health costs. Kaiser Health News reported: