Opinion
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Electronic Health Records System Now Available
Opinion -While Congress works to establish the framework for increased use of information technology (IT) in health care, some in the private sector are already up and running with tools to allow average Americans to manage and preserve their own health records. -
Activists Target School Sales of Soft Drinks, Snacks
Opinion -In January, trial lawyers were poised to file a class-action lawsuit against the soft drink industry on behalf of parents of school-age children. -
2005: A Bad Year for Health Policy
Opinion -The initial implementation problems of the Medicare drug benefit that went into effect January 1 are being spun by some as reflective of a structural flaw: the inclusion of free-market competition and choice. -
Book Review: Making a Case for Market Forces in Health Care
Opinion -Healthy, Wealthy and Wise: Five Steps to a Better Health Care System by John F. Cogan, Glenn Hubbard, and Daniel P. -
Innovation: It’s Not Just a Paper Saver
Opinion -Swiping a card or key tag to access medical records or refill a prescription is not just "emergent" technology--it's happening now, with directives in Congress and incentives in the private sector encouraging it to grow nationwide and even -
Breast Cancer Drug Approved
Opinion -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for fighting recurrence of breast cancer. The approval came as results of a study of the drug, Femara, were reported in the December 29, 2005 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. -
Changing the Character of the Health Care Revolution
Opinion -In July 2005, America Online (AOL) co-founder Steve Case announced the creation of a new company, Revolution LLC, committed to consumer-directed health care. -
Emergency Care in Critical Condition: Study
Opinion -The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has unveiled the first comprehensive, state-by-state report card on the status of emergency medicine in the United States. -
Europe’s Drug Industry Is Model for U.S. to Avoid
Opinion -What happened to Europe's vibrant drug industry? Just a decade ago, more than two-thirds of all drug research was conducted in Europe. Now, 60 percent is conducted in the United States. -
Partisan Climate in Congress Likely Obstacle to Health Care Reform
Opinion -Political tensions are already high, but they are likely to ratchet up further for the remainder of the 109th Congress as the November elections draw nigh. -
Maine’s State-Run Health Plan Faltering
Opinion -Dirigo Health, the signature health reform initiative of Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) launched in September 2003, is hemorrhaging money and faltering, according to figures released in November by Baldacci's administration. -
PETA Pans Breakthrough in Breast Cancer Treatment
Opinion -Studies published in the October 20, 2005 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine indicate Herceptin, a drug already shown to prolong survival in patients with advanced breast cancer, can also cut in half the recurrence of a common form of breast -
Medicare Drug Benefit: Patience and Persistence
Opinion -Since the Medicare drug benefit enrollment period began on November 15, 2005, everywhere seniors turn they find newspapers and airwaves filled with warnings that the program is overwhelmingly confusing. -
Litigation Raising Health Care Costs, Study Says
Opinion -An October 2005 report from the Manhattan Institute shows the efforts of trial lawyers to target health care providers for profit are raising U.S. health care costs. Trial Lawyers, Inc. -
Medicare Experiments with Pay for Performance
Opinion -On November 14, 2005, the U.S. -
Long Waits for Health Care Plague Canada
Opinion -Canadians seeking health care continue to be plagued by long waits, according to a recent report from The Fraser Institute. -
Florida Medicaid Plan Receives Federal Approval
Opinion -On October 19, 2005, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael O. Leavitt and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) announced the federal government has approved Florida's Medicaid transformation plan. -
Consumer-Directed Health Group Names Board of Directors
Opinion -The members of a newly founded advocacy group for consumer-directed health care met in Washington, DC on December 10 to elect its first board of directors. -
How to Reduce the Risk of Nutritional Diseases – Last in a Series
Opinion -The United States is experiencing an epidemic of diseases related to poor nutrition. Rates of heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and obesity are all rising rapidly. -
Opponents Question Costs of Illinois All Kids Program
Opinion -In October 2005, Illinois became the nation's first state to offer government health insurance to all children regardless of family income. Gov. -
RIP: Lee Tooman, Leading Proponent of Consumer-Driven Health Care
Opinion -Lee D. Tooman Jr., vice president of government relations for Golden Rule Insurance Company, passed away on October 26, 2005 following a long and courageous struggle with cancer. He was 52. -
Demand Growing for Corporate Practice of Medicine
Opinion -Americans often find themselves taking half a day off from work and waiting an hour in a physician's office, only to see a doctor for 10 minutes. And the primary reason people see a doctor is for access to prescription drugs. -
Analysis: Senate Budget Bill Would Increase Medicare Red Tape
Opinion -New reimbursement reporting and compliance rules for physicians participating in Medicare went into effect on January 1 as part of the budget reconciliation bill that passed the House on December 19. -
Analysis: Avian Flu Virus Requires Calm, Educated Concern
Opinion -The scare of the day--if not the entire coming year--is the avian flu virus. Is the fear exaggerated? Yes. Should we be cautiously concerned? Yes. Are the United States and the world properly prepared for the worst-case scenario? No.
