Measure 110 never worked well from the start. Last July I wrote state officials, advocates for drug reform laws and Oregon residents are left wondering whether Measure 110 needs small reforms, is merely experiencing growing pains or should be scrapped altogether. Also, one has to wonder if the tax revenue supporting treatment centers was supposed to mitigate the increase in drug use by making drug use less risky.
Category: Devon Herrick
Emergency Room Violence is Increasingly Common
I often warn patients to avoid the emergency room (ER) at all costs – mostly because it will cost you a fortune. I also advise patients to avoid hospitals in general unless they are too sick to go anywhere else. Hospitals are the most expensive place to have medical care done that can be done elsewhere. It turns out, the ER is not just dangerous for patients financially, but also a dangerous place to work.
Bad Deal: Hospitals Discover Concierge Medicine
I just read about a troubling trend: Hospital-owned concierge medical practices. This is where hospitals establish a concierge practice for the purpose of attracting a few hundred wealthy members (I mean patients) willing to pay $2,000 to $4,000 apiece to be able to get quick access to their physician.
Medicare to Cover Some Costly Weight-Loss Drugs (that’s both good and bad)
The first Medicare health plans announced they will cover the weight-loss drug, Wegovy for certain patients with heart disease. By law, Medicare is not allowed to cover drugs solely for weight loss. Elevance (operates many Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans), Kaiser Permanente and CVS Health are the first Medicare plans to cover weight loss drugs for health reasons, according to the Wall Street Journal.