The Democrats’ proposal to sharply raise tobacco taxes should go up in smoke.
Category: Policy
Why private equity is a dangerous employer
About 4 months after emergency medicine physician Jessica (a pseudonym used out of fear of retaliation from her employer) joined a Michigan hospital in 2014, the department’s staffing group was bought out by TeamHealth, a staffing firm backed by …
The success of Australian firearms regulation: What it could mean for children
An article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018 noted the sad milestone that firearms were causing 15% of all deaths in children and adolescents. Somewhat encouraging, a later study showed states with stricter firearm laws correlated with low…
Systemic racism and Indigenous deaths in health care
Ni cta ni akohikon: That hurts me. Carol pe ntamici: Carol, come see me. Ni taci sa micta mackikikatakoiin: They are overdosing me on drugs. Wipatc tca: Do it quickly. Those were the chilling words of Joyce Echaquan, broadcasting live from Facebook on …
Expanding health care access and equity through telehealth
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has been an amplifier and catalyst for numerous issues. The pandemic has impacted health care delivery significantly, and inequities for the Black community are more apparent. Federal and state rules for teleh…
This doctor will be running for the legislature in the future
You don’t know who I am yet, but you will in the future. I haven’t decided yet if I will run for the House, Senate, or the U.S. Congress. If you are a health care professional, whether it be a doctor able to change medicine, nurses, respira…
Democrats’ Drug Pricing Reforms Aren’t What They Seem
What Democrats are proposing is a sweeping system of price controls. Evidence from abroad demonstrates that such schemes are certain to restrict access to new medicines, particularly for those who are older, living with disabilities, or fighting seriou…
Medical debt is the enemy of everyone
An excerpt from End Medical Debt: Curing America’s $1 Trillion Unpayable Healthcare Debt. Medical debt is the mortal enemy of the patient, the physician, the hospital, the community, the state, and the nation. When we think of others’ debts, we tend to…
To “fix” health care delivery, turn to a value-based health care system
With over two-thirds of the public believing that health care should be a top policy priority, there is no debating the importance of “fixing” our health care delivery system. On one extreme of the aisle, there is a growing chorus in support for “Medic…
HIV/AIDS vaccine underscores need for better health access
“HIV has been a blessing in my life.” Lola was a 48-year-old woman living in Denver when I interviewed her in 2002 about her HIV-positive diagnosis. She said the diagnosis improved her life in important ways; she had received income and hou…
