- Sen Ron Wyden: Health insurers are running so-called ghost networks, in which providers are listed in networks but don’t actually offer care. Why is he surprised?
- New CMS rule would make it easier for ineligible people to continue receiving benefits and reduce safeguards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
- Nonprofit hospital chain sucks out profits, while leaving a poor, minority community without essential services.
- Study: More than 80% of people sampled in Greece report witnessing informal (off the books) payments for health care and the number is also high elsewhere in Europe. (Health Affairs, gated) Unfortunately the authors call rationing by price “corruption,” whereas rationing by waiting is apparently a civic duty.
Category: Health Insurance
Doctors: Friends Don’t Let Friends Ride Bicycles Stoned
From 2019 to 2020 more than 11,000 patients were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle accidents while high on methamphetamine, marijuana or opioids. Some were also drunk or had been drinking alcohol.
The most common drugs found were methamphetamine (36%); marijuana (32%); and opioids (19%). Nearly a quarter of injured bikers had also been drinking alcohol, the study found.
Researchers speculate that some of the crash victims may have suffered fatal injuries.
Wednesday Links
- New book: Why people are the ultimate resource.
- Subsidizing kids: Hungary exempts mothers of four or more children from income taxes for life. (The Economist, gated)
- Why do we need an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health? Because the National Institutes of Health is too cautious. (NYT, gated)
- Life expectancy in China surpasses the US.
- Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness program is worse than you think.
- The right way to pay tuition for students who need a loan.
Is it a Problem that only 1-in-5 Therapists Accepts Insurance?
Margie Ryerson is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Last week she wrote an article in the online magazine Slate discussing why she does not accept insurance. Ryerson said she has turned away many potential patients telling them she had no appointment openings. Often the real reason was that her practice is closed to those not…