Opinion
-
Rethinking a Drug Discount Program
Opinion -On July 11, 2001, President George W. Bush announced his Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Program. -
States Don’t Wait on Patients’ Rights
Opinion -When North Carolina Governor Mike Easley (D) signed “patients’ bill of rights” legislation, the state joined 45 others that have given more legal power to health care consumers. -
Politics, Law Delay Federal Rx Discount Card
Opinion -If you've flipped through a copy of Reader's Digest lately, you’ve probably come across an advertisement for the Reader's Digest-Merck Medco YourRxPlan. -
Soaring Malpractice Premiums Bleed Doctors, Rob Consumers
Opinion -Skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance premiums are wreaking havoc in communities throughout the United States. -
The FDA’s Victims
Opinion -The Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency that is supposed to certify the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products and medical devices, often drives excellent products off the market. I should know. -
Table: States Don’t Wait on Patients’ Rights
Opinion -State Year Enacted Provisions Alaska 1998 Ban on gag clauses, direct access, bans financial incentives Arizona 2000 Grievance procedures, direct access, experimental treatment Arkansas 1997 Inpatient care after childbirth, mastectomies, -
Table: Medical Malpractice Payments for Individual Physicians, 2000
Opinion -Medical Malpractice Payments for Individual Physicians, 2000 State Median* Total Rank Alabama $200,000 $34,839,809 24 Alaska 100,000 3,244,459 51 Arizona 150,000 68,920,361 15 Arkansas 91,880 15,220,747 42 California 55,000 -
01/2002: The Galen Report
Opinion -Those anticipating the next generation of miracle medicines should be appalled by the results of the World Trade Organization meeting in Doha last November. -
And Now, the Rest of the Story…
Opinion -The Clinton administration’s plan for universal health care never was about "the greater social good" or "doing the people's business. -
New Health Insurance Product Offered in Oregon
Opinion -In response to employers' cries for innovative products that shift more of the costs and responsibilities of health insurance to their employees, two companies are partnering to unveil a defined contribution health insurance plan to Oregon employers by -
Feds Threaten to Close Medicaid Loophole
Opinion -A bipartisan group of federal policymakers has vowed to block any plans the Bush administration might have to close the so-called "upper payment limit" loophole in the Medicaid state reimbursement formula. -
Here Comes Government Rationing
Opinion -Opponents of government control of health care—among them economists, policy analysts, and health care practitioners—have often warned that government control inevitably means government rationing of care. -
Private-Sector Safety Institute Empowers Patients
Opinion -Leading physician, hospital, and consumer advocates announced at a December 11 news conference in Washington, DC the launch of a new initiative formed to improve patient safety and health care quality, the Patient Safety Institute (PSI). -
Recession Strips Insurance from 725,000 Laid-off Workers
Opinion -While Congressional leaders and the White House debate an economic stimulus package that supports subsidizing people enrolled in COBRA, a new report says more than 725,000 laid-off workers have lost their health insurance since the recession began in -
There They Go Again
Opinion -Nature abhors a vacuum. That's why the media must fill every second of air time and every column inch of page space. -
Seeking Socialized Health Care in Maine
Opinion -Voters in Portland, Maine were asked in November if they wanted government-run health care. Nearly 52 percent (7,024) cast ballots in support of the non-binding resolution, while 48 percent (6,494) rejected it. -
12/2001: The Galen Report
Opinion -I have been criss-crossing the country and, as a result, I have no idea what—if anything—is happening in Washington on health policy. But I can report on some of the conferences and events I have been participating in. -
MSAs Can Be a Windfall for All
Opinion -Managing Editor’s note: Greg Scandlen—senior fellow in health policy at the National Center for Policy Analysis and assistant editor of Health Care News—sits on top of the mountain when it comes to Medical Savings Accounts. -
States Ready to Wield Drug-Purchasing Power
Opinion -Several states have banded together to form a multistage drug-purchasing pool to negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices for residents covered by government health insurance plans. -
Prior Authorization: What Does it Really Cost?
Opinion -Prior authorization, like many pharmacy management processes, can be used to improve the quality of medical care delivered to patients. -
NGA Touts Rx Purchasing Pools
Opinion -The National Governors Association (NGA) announced on October 24 the release of a report on pharmaceutical purchasing pools, touted by West Virginia Governor Bob Wise during a media blitz he used to launch the Southern States Coalition’s pharmacy working -
Free-Market Health Insurance Flourishes Online
Opinion -Small businesses are the perfect online insurance customer: wired and Internet- savvy. -
12/2001: State Legislative Update
Opinion -The year 2001 saw a wide range of health care proposals at the state level, including efforts to address long-term care, Medicaid access and budgets, mental health, prescription drug coverage, women's health, and SCHIP. -
More Troubles for TennCare
Opinion -In November, Tennessee officials shifted 279,000 members of Access MedPLUS, the largest health plan in the troubled TennCare system, into a plan operated by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.