Julie Grabow, an oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, recently prescribed an exciting new therapy for a 60-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer — Afinitor made by Novartis. There was a catch, though. Novartis is charging $10,000 per month for the drug
Survey that found that the new health reform law would lead one in three employers to drop worker coverage was poorly done, critics say.
On paper, the Ryan plan saves the government a lot of money, at least in the long run. But upon closer inspection, the savings turn out to be illusory, cruel or some combination of the two.
The Republicans insist they want not just to repeal the Affordable Care Act but also to replace it. But replace it with what, exactly? It’s not an easy question to answer. They’ve have yet to embrace a specific proposal and, rhetorically, they have made contradictory arguments about what they want
Book Review: If last year’s attacks on the health-care reform law seemed familiar, it’s because you’ve seen same the tactics before, writes Wendell Potter in his new book “Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans”.
That’s what President Obama should tell Congressional Republicans, says Princeton health economist Uwe E. Reinhardt.
His logic: The GOP would have to come up with its own solutions to the health cost crisis, many of which, he wagers, would look much like parts of the current law.
“I think it would be a healthy thing,” he says.
Comparative effectiveness research provides officials with a mechanism to decide who will receive treatment, which in some cases will mean who lives and who dies.
“To be fair, the Republican argument makes perfect sense if you think like a campaign operative.”
With reference pricing, to charge Medicare extra companies get three years to show that a new, costly treatment is better than the old one.
Health reform targets wasteful spending — that is, instances where either individuals or the government is paying too much for what some part of the health care industry is providing
For those of us who have looked forward to the day when better health care access is provided to each and every person, it’s a great, new day.
Republican proposals will force many people to pay higher premiums, lavish subsidies on the insurance industry and add $100 of billions to the federal debt.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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