Category: Public Health & Policy

Climate change is exacerbating diseases in vulnerable populations in America and abroad

As climate change advances, it has amplified a variety of diseases globally, especially in under-resourced countries and communities. This article summarizes three of these consequential trends. The first is that wildfires and industrial pollution are …

Why is our health care system going down the drain and no one seems to care?

I want to express my frustration with the state of health care in the United States, particularly in the context of my own experiences within the system. Over the past 12 years, I have submitted articles to KevinMD advocating for quality patient care a…

The hidden estate tax: How the SECURE Act could impact your heirs

When planning for retirement, most of us focus on building a nest egg that will support us in our golden years. We diligently contribute to our 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts, hoping to maximize our savings and minimize our tax burden. Ho…

Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis

In the sweltering heat of 19th-century colonial Delhi, legend has it that cobras were taking over the streets. To eliminate the dangerous snakes, British officials offered a bounty for every dead cobra brought to government offices. Soon, locals began …

How Australia’s deadliest creatures and groundbreaking medicine make it unique

Australia is a very beautiful and unique place. I first went to Sydney in 1996 to present some research I had accomplished together with a much more brilliant and capable research physician. I was able to ride the monorail, now gone I’m told, and…

A cardiologist’s urgent call to combat heat-related health risks

As I drive to work and back, my eyes are on the ambient temperature reading in my car—it has been creeping up every day. I routinely listen to NPR, and extreme heat in various parts of the world comes up in daily discussions. As a heart failure cardiol…

21st century schizoid health care: the unseen crisis of our system

“21st Century Schizoid Man” is a 1969 antiwar song by the prog rock band King Crimson. It appeared as the lead cut on their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. “Schizoid Man” is considered an epic, described by Rolling…

Prescribing data and efficiency: Harnessing technology to alleviate the physician shortage in the U.S.

Amidst the pressing challenges confronting the health care landscape in the United States, the physician shortage stands out as a critical issue demanding innovative solutions. The Association of American Medical College’s latest report projects …

Revitalizing rural health care with technology and policy

As a physician who grew up in a small town in central Illinois, I’ve witnessed firsthand the decline of rural health care in America. The hospital where I first became interested in medicine is now half its original size, merged with a larger hea…

The truth behind the U.S. doctor shortage: Intentional or not?

My friend and colleague, Alex Berezow, wrote a piece titled “Is the U.S. doctor shortage intentional?” The writers at ACSH share their work before publication to get feedback, and in the case of Alex’s latest, we disagreed. While much…