Probably around 50 years after telephones made their arrived in doctors’ offices physicians stopped using them to communicate with patients. The reason was because health insurance enrollment was growing and third-party payers were not willing to reimburse for phone consultations, while few doctors wanted to work for free. That has been changing over the past few years (the former, not the latter).
Category: Health Reform
Is Gun Violence a Public Health Threat or Criminal Justice Issue?
A curious article in Kaiser Health News (KHN) tries to explain why “even public health experts have limited insight into stopping gun violence in America.” KHN lays the blame on the National Rifle Association and a nearly 30-year old budget amendment that prevents the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding research promoting gun control. KHN goes on to say that despite the ban on using CDC funds to advocate for gun control, there is a cottage industry of academics who are working to reduce gun violence.
Thursday Links
- Study: diet soft drinks are bad for your heart.
- The “pill penalty”: Medicare will set prices for pills, tablets and capsules 9 years after FDA approval. But biologics get 13 years. Go figure.
- Because of an outdated FDA approval process the family had to take their daughter to Italy to save her life.
- “The reason why Singapore spends so much less on health than other developed countries is its low hospital utilization.” HT: Tyler
- All you want to know (and then some) about fasting.