Category: Public Health & Policy

The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy

As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of heal…

Chainsaw politics may cut deeply into the fabric of health care

Federal downsizing, while touted as a means to streamline operations and eliminate bureaucratic waste, has significant and often detrimental consequences for the U.S. health care system. Two documents shed light on this issue from complementary perspec…

Curbing health care costs: 3 reforms for a more efficient system

The United States health care system is plagued by inefficiencies that drive up costs and limit access to care. The Department of Government Efficiency has a crucial role to play in addressing this challenge. As a physician, I often strive to practice …

How physicians can fight medical misinformation in the digital age

In 2019, a mother in the U.S. stood in a hospital, clutching her feverish toddler, tears streaming down her face. Just months earlier, she had declined the routine vaccination after reading an article claiming it was “full of toxins” and li…

How medicine is evolving: Bridging generational divides in the profession

I recently came across an ongoing “discussion,” or rather aggressive bantering, in an online physician platform regarding the old guard versus the alleged newer, more entitled, and lazy generation of doctors. Years ago, I would have more st…

Citizenship should not be a condition of treatment

The Hippocratic Oath does not require citizenship as a condition of treatment. The oath, which serves as a foundational ethical guideline for physicians, emphasizes principles such as doing no harm, maintaining patient confidentiality, and practicing m…

Murder, vitriol, and hidden costs: inside the health insurance industry’s biggest battles

With the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, many have expressed vitriol towards the insurance industry. Having worked in non-profit health care all my life, I decided in 2018 to switch to the “dark side,” or the insurance industry, out of …

Why the U.S. health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Featuring cardiologist Mark Goldfarb, who discusses his KevinMD article “Why the U.S. health care system is failing patients—what every American should know.” …

Here’s what the NFL could learn from ancient Rome and the gladiators

It seems unlikely that Paramount Studios released Gladiator Part 2 immediately after the presidential election to diffuse political rancor. They didn’t intend to provide a cathartic release for the nation’s pent-up frustrations. The goal wa…

Here’s what the NFL could learn from ancient Rome and the gladiators

It seems unlikely that Paramount Studios released Gladiator Part 2 immediately after the presidential election to diffuse political rancor. They didn’t intend to provide a cathartic release for the nation’s pent-up frustrations. The goal wa…