- Misinformation Update: One of the strangest aspects of the Covid pandemic was the early insistence by the WHO and the CDC that COVID was not airborne.
- Good news: since before the pandemic, Americans’ wealth is way up, and inequality is down.
- A positive view of doctor assisted suicide. (NYT)
- 55 percent of E.R. doctors say they have been physically assaulted, almost all by patients.
- New test says it can find cancer for $949. Why do some doctors think that is not a good idea? (WSJ)
Category: Direct Primary Care
Monday Links
- Who delays care because of cost? Only 29% with employer coverage; 37% with Obamacare; 39% with Medicaid and 42% with Medicare.
- Given an average waiting time of 2½ hours before being discharged, how can there be too many emergency care physicians?
- The “surprise billing” solution isn’t working: Only 4% of the roughly 90,000 payment disputes initiated between April and September have been resolved.
- A CMS rule change will lead to $700 million less savings than the CBO estimated when evaluating the act that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Is Social Media Addictive, like Giving Drugs to Children?
Forty-two attorneys general have sued Meta because Facebook and Instagram are addictive and supposedly harmful to children. I didn’t realize social media is a public health threat. Is this something that state attorneys general should pursue like they did for opioids and tobacco?
What is Causing the Mental Heath Crisis Among Young People?
Americans are suffering a crisis of mental health. The crisis is especially pronounced among young people. This extends beyond the Covid-19 outbreak when schools were closed, kids were taught from home and shut off from their peers. Research has found that Millennials and Generation Z experience more negative emotions (stress and anxiety) than older generations, with Gen Z worse off than Millennials. Perhaps the explanation is that younger adults are new at adult life. Beginning careers, getting married and starting families is stressful in the beginning.