Author's posts
Addressing The Issue Of Coronavirus Vaccine Affordability
Not ensuring affordability implies that ability to pay or a person’s health insurance coverage could determine who gets access to a vaccine and who doesn’t. Most would argue that tiered access, contingent on socioeconomic status is unethical.
Sickle Cell Disease: After Years Of Neglect Some Promise For Sufferers
In the past five years there has very encouraging news on the sickle cell disease drug development front. Besides pain medications to relieve symptoms as well as antibiotics to treat infections, there are now a number of promising new therapies on the …
COVID-19: Why Names Of New Infectious Diseases Matter
In 2015, long before the current epidemic involving COVID-19, the WHO issued best practice guidelines for scientists, health authorities, and the media to follow in naming new infectious diseases to minimize what it called “unnecessary negative effects…
Testing For COVID-19 In All Patients With Unexplained Pneumonia Is Probably Not Cost-Effective
At this point, is more widespread testing of all patients with unexplained pneumonia (even those who haven’t been to China) warranted from a societal cost-effectiveness perspective? It’s a question that needs to be asked.
Public Health Threat Of Measles Is Far From Over
The WHO has singled out the need to earn the public’s trust with respect to vaccinations. This requires education, positive messaging, and a willingness to confront and debate the anti-vax community civilly and respectfully in a public setting.
Trump’s SOTU Message On Health Care: More Rhetoric Than Substance
President Trump’s bombast and hyperbole were on full display at this week’s State of the Union address. With respect to health care this week’s speech was conspicuously long on rhetoric and short on facts.
Inertia In American Healthcare: Muddling Along Inelegantly
The inertia surrounding attempts to move healthcare forward in America is disturbing. Sure, there’s a lot of talk about healthcare and how to reform it. But, it’s remarkably devoid of action.
Coronavirus Spreads Disease And Fear
What are the main reasons why Coronavirus is a cause for alarm in the U.S.? First, the fatality rate is relatively high. Second, the virus can be transmitted from asymptomatic individuals. Third, there’s fear of the unknown and foreign.
U.S. Prices For Healthcare Services Far Outpace Peer Nations
The fact that angioplasties and hospital stays are much more expensive in the U.S. is not reflective of angioplasties or hospital stays being better in the U.S. Hospitals in the U.S. charge $32,000 for an angioplasty because they can in a market with n…
U.S. Healthcare Sector Faces Major Uncertainties In 2020
While I expect the status quo to continue in 2020 regarding drug price reform, as the end of the year approaches there will be considerable uneasiness in the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries about imminent changes in 2021 and 2022.
