Two years after the passage of the federal health law, more than 40 percent of people say they know little or nothing about how it will affect them. Now a new book in adult comic-strip for seeks to explain the ins and outs of the new legislation.
The recession had a lot to do with the trend: With fewer people insured, and private insurers generally picking up less of the cost, patients went to the doctor and hospital less.
A major medical group issued ethical guidelines that take the provocative position of urging doctors to consider cost-effectiveness when deciding how to treat their patients.
Besides their convenience, urgent care centers attract patients because their fees at least half those charged at a hospital ERs. Those lower fees have drawn the attention of hospitals and insurers — both of which increasingly see the facilities as a way to hold down costs and boost their bottom lines.
Goal is to draw attention to how individual clinicians and patients can identify and act to curb excessive health care spending.
The cost of cancer care can impoverish even patients with health insurance. The American Cancer Society in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation have made a documentary about three cancer patients who must struggle to pay their bills. To read our coverage of the report on the costs of cancer care by the American Cancer [...]
The Western Washington Chapter of a Physicians for a National Health Program, a group that supports the establishment of a single-payer health-care system for the United States, will hold its monthly meeting this Wednesday evening, Dec. 17. The meeting will focus on responding to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team’s call for community discussions on health-care [...]
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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