Category: Doctors

Direct Primary Care, With a Touch of Robin Hood

Some doctors, sick of mainstream health care’s red tape, are finding refuge in practices that combine concierge medicine with charity care.

Schedule Online Visits First? It’s the Next Big Thing in Health Insurance

New, often lower-cost plans capitalize on the convenience of telemedicine — and patients’ growing familiarity with it. But consumers should weigh costs and care options before enrolling in a “virtual-first” plan.

A Wrenching Farewell: Bidding Adieu to My Primary Care Doctor After Nearly 30 Years

Long-term relationships between patients and doctors often enrich the quality of care and create deep emotional bonds. When the doctors retire or move on, saying goodbye can be hard.

Major Insurers Running Billions of Dollars Behind on Payments to Hospitals and Doctors

Patients are caught in the middle as insurers clamp down on paying for treatments or force prior authorizations for care.

Florida Spine Surgeon and Device Company Owner Charged in Kickback Scheme

Dr. Kingsley R. Chin and SpineFrontier were the subject of a recent KHN “Spinal Tap” investigation.

Telehealth’s Limits: Battle Over State Lines and Licensing Threatens Patients’ Options

Televisits took off during the worst days of the pandemic, but states are now rolling back the temporary rules that facilitated them. That’s adding fuel to debates about states’ authority over medical licensing.

‘The Vaccination Queen’: Nurse Practitioner Takes Covid Shots House to House in Puerto Rico

Abigail Matos-Pagán, a critical care expert who has galvanized relief efforts after hurricanes and earthquakes, is on a mission to inoculate as many Puerto Rican residents as possible.

Influx of Medical School Students Could Overwhelm Montana Resources, Program Leaders Warn

Leaders of a regional medical school program in Montana say two proposed medical schools could create a flood of students they worry will strain the clinical faculty and resources in the state they use for training.

Doctors Weigh Pros and Cons of Prescribing Hot-Button Alzheimer’s Drug

The potential benefits of Aduhelm are small, its effectiveness is not certain, and even the FDA Thursday shifted its guidance on who should get the drug. But physicians are dealing with an onslaught of interest from patients and their families, and figuring out which patients are best positioned to be helped by the drug will be difficult.

Federal Speech Rulings May Embolden Health Care Workers to Call Out Safety Issues

Policies mandating company approval before talking publicly about conditions in hospitals have been a source of conflict over the past year, as physicians, nurses and other health workers have been disciplined for speaking or posting about what they view as dangerous covid-19 safety precautions. The appeals court’s decision could mean that hospitals — and other employers — will need to revise their policies.