Starting on January 1, 2021, clinicians across the country can expect new Medicare rules on billing, documentation, and payment for evaluation and management (E/M) services — or common office/outpatient visits – to go into effect. These historic …
Category: Public Health & Policy
Why eliminating health care disparities is easier said than done
Those of us in health care understand that the pandemic represents just one more example of the disproportionately negative impact of health issues on people of color. As stated in a 2017 National Institutes of Health report, “For racial and ethnic mi…
Proponents of independent non-physician practice make a dangerous assumption [PODCAST]
“Most Americans have remained dangerously unaware of this revolution in health care. Being treated by a non-physician is not on the radar of the average patient, most of whom assume that anyone in a white coat is a physician. If patients do wonde…
Can there be hope amid politics? [PODCAST]
“Humans are complex. Humans are multifaceted. Humans are capable of grit and determination. This means that humans are also worthy of hope. If I learned anything from watching this moment in history, I realize that it’s not about being a ‘D…
The case for decarceration
“There are only two groups of people on this earth who know when and where they will die,” Steve disclosed to me, peering carefully over the rims of his glasses. “They’re the people in hospitals and people with life in prison.” The discomfort of his wo…
If you take a pill, you are at risk: a personal reflection on health information dissemination in Black communities
As a medical and public health student quarantined at home with two physician parents and a new college graduate sibling, we can speak about the COVID-19 pandemic research, guidelines, and epidemiology around the dinner with relative ease. Everyone in …
When your institution has a less than 1% hiring rate for Black residents
The other day I was in the main hallway outside of our radiology reading rooms, which is lined with picture frames of all the residency senior classes dating back to the 1980s. I’m new to the institution, so it was nice to see all the prior residents. …
The unintended consequences of population health algorithms
The results of a 2019 research article in the journal Science uncovered significant racial bias in commonly used population health algorithms used to identify and assign care to patients with complex, active health needs. Using a large clinical data se…
What does Kelly Loeffler’s health plan do to coverage for preexisting conditions?
I’ve been doing health policy for thirty years. I arguably know something about health insurance. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what Kelly Loeffler is proposing under her health plan––particularly when it comes to current protectio…
A moral imperative to heal the broken health care model in this country
One of the most salient issues in America has always been access to health care. As a medical student, I have seen firsthand the importance of strong health care protections for patients. I believe that the November election result is only a start towa…
