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American Medicine
Choosing the right health insurance has always been confusing. But this perplexing dilemma has become more difficult for 2014 because Obamacare is being implemented. So which insurance is best for you?
I have reviewed the various types of policies in my book “Surviving American Medicine”. But now let me give you my best advice on which policy you should choose.
If you are eligible for Medicare and can afford it, choose the Medicare option with…
More Affordable Care Act (ACA, or ObamaCare) changes will take place in January 2014. The most important are changes in insurance policies and in physician networks. Also challenging to everyone are the changes in physician attitudes (anger, confusion, burn out) and practice structure. Many of these are described in my book “Surviving American Medicine” along with tips on how to manage them.
But now you need to take some action to help protect your own…
It is logical that having a good physician with whom you have a close relationship can improve your sense of confidence in your medical care. But does it result in improved outcomes?
In an important scientific article, K. Trevino and co-authors studied the relationship between young adults with advanced cancer and their physicians. In 95 young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 years old, who had advanced cancer, having a strong relationship with…
One of the major types of insurance available to patients with low incomes is Medicaid. Access to Medicaid is being expanded through the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). The question is, how does Medicaid insurance really help people?
The answer is in part provided by an excellent article by K. Baicker and co-authors (New England Journal of Medicine 2013, Volume 368, Page 173) and an accompanying editorial by R. Kronick and A. Bindman (New England Journal…
With the expansion of health insurance from the Affordable Care Act and other insurance reforms, more patients will have access to physicians. In order to accommodate this increased burden on the healthcare system and increased availability of higher quality care for patients, there will be more widespread use of nurse practitioners.
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine by K. Donelan and co-authors (New England Journal of Medicine 2013, Volume 368, Page…
Young adults 18 to 35 years of age, including recent graduates, are faced with an important health care challenge: you may have only
a low income (maybe even none), perhaps high student loans, no health conditions or challenges, and you want to know how to protect the quality of and access to your health care. Since you are not sick, why should you even consider getting health insurance coverage, with you knowing it can be really…
The articles and news coverage of problems in how to access American medical care are described as health-care disparities. This is the policy-makers way of talking about poverty, joblessness, or racial/gender/age discrimination. These are all difficult problems to overcome if one is to get good medical care.
It is often stated that many of those conditions occur in a setting of less access to care. But more often, the feeling of less access is more a…
With health care reform under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), doctors will become more overworked. To get better health care, you may have to see nurse practitioners. I agree with a recent editorial in the New York Times http://nyti.ms/VOJsWe which says that trained nurse practitioners may be able to replace physicians as the point of contact for prescribing care in many circumstances.
But these professionals do not have the depth of training and experience of physicians….
Health care reform is forcing doctors to work for less income. As a result, doctors are downsizing their practices – keeping fewer nurses and support staff on payroll. With fewer people to help you, your care will likely deteriorate.
When doctors sell their practices to hospitals or networks, they are typically restructured. When they restructure, the new arrangement can put the doctor under…
As we approach 1-1-13, we are aware of the fiscal cliff, which every media source is covering. But worse, in my estimation, is the approaching Medicare and healthcare cliff, also arriving 1-1-13.
On 1-1-13, without congressional action, payments for all Medicare services will decrease 30%. What effect will this have on your care?
There is a 25-40% chance your doctor will retire, stop seeing Medicare patients, or stop participating in Medicare (requiring you to pay…