How are people filling in the information gap between physician visits? Data going back nearly 30 years shows patients flocking to the internet for information on diseases and conditions. Dr. Google is a euphemism for people using the search engine Google to query medical conditions. Nowadays patients have an even more powerful health information source: artificial chatbot ChatGPT Health.
Category: Health Reform
Wednesday Links – 25 February 2026
- CMS to publish network lists for Medicare Advantage plans.
- Peru’s new President taps Hernando de Soto to be prime minister.
- American foods banned in many European countries: Ritz Crackers, Twinkies, Coffee-Mate, Froot Loops, and Gatorade.
- CMS has removed nearly 1.5 million ineligible individuals from (ACA) marketplace subsidies, saving approximately $10 billion annually through its fraud crackdown efforts.
- GAO: In FY 2024, 16 federal agencies reported a total estimate of about $162 billion in improper payments across 68 programs.
Tuesday Links – 24 February 2026
- MAGA is against animal experimentation.
- There are more people creating movie special effects today than before CGI. (Important for thinking about AI and jobs.)
- Across the American rail network, passenger trains run slower today than they did before the Second World War. A the same time, America moves over five thousand ton-miles of freight per person annually by rail, a rate nine times that of Europe’s and fifty-four times Japan’s. (RT: Tyler)
FDA to Loosen Requirements for New Drug Approvals
The process for drug approval is bureaucratic and overly rigid. After a new drug molecule is identified, Stage I and Stage II trials are completed to test for toxicity and safety. Once a drug’s safety is evaluated, it can take years longer to finalize the Stage III clinical trials on drug efficacy. The new FDA Commissioner plans to speed the process.