Is there an “equitable” way to sue patients for medical bills?
A recent set of best practices on billing from a hospital industry group was hailed as promoting racial equity-- but does it go far enough for patients? More
Trump’s Vaccine Czar Refuses to Give Up Stock in Drug Company Involved in His Government Role
The administration calls Moncef Slaoui, who leads its vaccine race, a “contractor” to sidestep rules against personally profiting from government positions. Slaoui owns $10 million in stock of a company working with his team to develop a vaccine. More
It’s Not Just Insulin: Lawmakers Focus on Price of One Drug, While Others Rise Too
While insulin is the poster child for outrageous prescription costs, patients are paying ever more to treat depression, asthma, HIV, cholesterol and more. More
Many Hospitals Charge More Than Twice What Medicare Pays for the Same Care
The gap between rates set for private insurers and employers vs. those by the federal government stirs the debate over a government-run health plan. More
State treasurers urge Gilead to lower the price of remdesivir and not pursue “unreasonable profits”
In a letter to the drug maker, the state treasurers warn that prices “disconnected from market forces will ultimately backfire." More
Hospital Pays $50M to Settle Charges It Overpaid Docs for Referrals
"There are many well-paid lawyers whose job it is to figure out what this hospital did, but in a way that passes legal muster," he said. "If you're complying with the letter of the law but violating the spirit of the law, what good is that? There is a soft creeping corruption in these arrangements all over the country." Dealmaking of this type is symptomatic of profit-driven healthcare, Saini said: "We have a system in which hospitals really have to compete for revenue and high-margin business because we treat them like a normal business. But healthcare is not a normal economic activity. There is a fundamental disconnect here." More
COVID-19 test charges range from one cent to $14,750, study finds
The CARES Act lets out-of-network providers set their own prices for COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody tests. A new study finds that has resulted in a wide range of charges. More
When private equity firms invest in women’s health clinics, who benefits?
The substantial rise of private equity investment in women's health and fertility clinics comes with unknown implications. More
With No Legal Guardrails for Patients, Ambulances Drive Surprise Medical Billing
Studies show that at least half of ground ambulance rides across the nation leave patients with “surprise” medical bills. And a $300-a-mile ride is not unusual. More
Are hospitals making money treating COVID-19 patients?
Wealthier health systems might be generating a margin treating COVID-19 patients, while others are losing money. Policy experts urge HHS to consider that divide when allocating remaining grant money from the CARES Act. More
Why hospitals don’t treat everyone equally
Local hospitals that treat large numbers of poor and uninsured patients scored the best in a new national ranking that evaluates hospitals based on their commitment to equity, inclusion and community health. Meanwhile, hospitals owned by some of the area's largest chains, including Northwestern Medicine and Advocate Aurora Health, got lower marks from the Lown Institute, a think tank based in Brookline, Mass. "As a business person, it makes perfect sense to go where the revenue opportunity is," says Lown President Dr. Vikas Saini. "If you say, go where the rich people are or go where the white people are, it doesn't sound so good." More
The Lown List of Industry-Independent Health Experts
The Lown List of Independent Health Experts is a resource for journalists to find sources without financial conflicts for stories, facilitating more balanced health care journalism. More
VIDEO: Why do we need safety net hospitals?
What are safety net hospitals and why do they matter? In this latest edition of “Lown Hospitals Q&A,” Shannon Brownlee and Vikas Saini answer three questions about safety net hospitals. More
Federal aid results in soaring profits for some hospitals
Pandemic relief money more than made up for lost revenues at some hospitals More
Coronavirus Tests Are Supposed to Be Free. The Surprise Bills Come Anyway.
Congress sought to ensure that patients would not face costs connected to the virus. But rules are not always being followed. More
Drug and device makers paid teaching hospitals $832 million in 2018, creating potential for conflicts of interest
Industry payments can encourage the uptake of new medicines and devices in some of the most influential medical institutions in the country. More
The Disasters That Built the FDA and Where We Go From Here
A series of disasters shaped the FDA into what it is today. We need to make sure that this pandemic moves the agency in the right direction. More
Trump’s covid vaccine dilemma: how public skepticism threatens to undermine a possible cure
Public health experts say that while companies may be legally covered, they still have a high degree of interest in showing a vaccine is effective. “For many drugs, trials are oriented to showing efficacy and a minimal level of safety, then our system allows them to be released into the wild, into the marketplace,” said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Massachusetts that advocates for health care reform.
If any of the current vaccine trials show high efficacy there could be political pressure to rush it to market to save lives and help return the country to normal. “We desperately need a vaccine. It would be a game-changer,” said Saini.
“So, what we face is a genuine trade off that is now being distorted horrendously by the politics. We may get a signal of efficacy before we get a signal of safety,” said Saini.
That presents a dilemma for whoever is president. "Trying to time good news results around Election Day for political advantage is not a Trump thing or a Biden thing. That’s what politicians do. And it’s been dirty business long before Trump,” Saini said.
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Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals provide similar levels of charity care, study finds
A new study finds that for-profit hospitals are spending the same amount proportionally on charity care as nonprofits. More
Sent Home to Die
In New Orleans, hospitals sent patients infected with the coronavirus into hospice facilities or back to their families to die at home, in some cases discontinuing treatment even as relatives begged them to keep trying. More