It has always been financially rewarding for doctors to take care of rich patients. People with more money … well, they have more money to spend on health care. But shouldn’t this more money/higher payment relationship go away in Medicare? It doe…
Category: Public Health & Policy
Racial disparities and maternal mental health during COVID
As the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded, the uncertainty of this crisis has stoked heightened awareness and precaution in each aspect of our lives. We have incorporated personal protective equipment into our human interactions, and we are compulsively…
Will the Supreme Court destroy the Affordable Care Act?
Now that it appears certain that the Republicans will approve a new Supreme Court justice in the coming weeks, there is great concern among Obamacare supporters that this could well mean the end of Obamacare. That concern is being amplified in the hype…
Will the CDC ever rise again?
I hate to say this, but I fear it is over. For our entire relationship, I have looked to the CDC to guide and educate me. I have put my faith in their recommendations. I have defended their stances on everything from obesity to Lyme disease to influenz…
An internal dialogue on closing the gaps
Black people are dying at disproportionate rates from the pandemic. For decades, racial disparities in health care have resulted in poor outcomes even before COVID-19. Individual risk factors for poor health are more pronounced in Black people and rac…
Essential health messaging tips for physicians [PODCAST]
“Advocacy by moms is not new, but advocacy by physicians has been less common. Moms have been fierce advocates on a variety of causes ranging from Mothers Against Drunk Driving to Moms Demand Action, the anti-gun violence mom activist group led b…
A new approach to Medicare for all [PODCAST]
Why should we reform the health care system to a physician-led approach? How will that look like? Would a Medicare for all system cure what ails the system? What are some obstacles to implementation? Ken Terry is a journalist. He shares his story and d…
Dear medical community, it’s time to engage in the climate movement
I recently finished my geriatric psychiatry rotation. As a medical student and aspiring psychiatrist, I had the opportunity to participate in the care of those suffering from acute psychosis, depression, bipolar disorder, depression, and more — many of…
Physicians must exercise their right to vote
Vote. These four letters reflect one of the most powerful actions in human history – the act of choosing who represents you and your beliefs. As an immigrant child and naturalized citizen, I was not born with the right to vote in the United States of A…
Patients vs. customers during COVID
Somewhere in Wuhan, China, a bat was eaten — and the world as we knew it was over. (Note to self: Never have your bat below medium, and avoid bat tartare like the plague.) Kids stayed home. So did their parents. They started talking to each other, inst…
