What are private insurers doing to prevent fraud? Not Much.
Why aren't private insurers prosecuting people who commit fraud? Because it would hurt their bottom line, a ProPublica investigation finds. More
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Press Release: For Grandparents Day, Recommend a Prescription Checkup
It's Grandparent's Day -- Do you know what medications your grandparents are taking? More
When a deal isn’t really a deal: Coupons for medical imaging
If you buy something you don't need at a high discount, does that make it a good deal? Why patients should be wary of Groupons for medical imaging. More
New report finds disturbing variation in neonatal intensive care
Does the supply of NICU beds correspond to the need for intensive care? Or are some infants being placed in the NICU when less intensive care would be safer? More
The life cycle of medical debt
Two stories in the recent news demonstrate how hospitals and debt collection agencies will go to extreme lengths to get the money they believe they are owed. More
Why we can’t ignore medication overload
On the Institute for Healthcare Improvement blog, Dr. Terry Fulmer, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation, explains why tackling medication overload is essential for older adults. More
Will health care startups really improve health?
From high-tech fitness trackers, to genome sequencing, to pill delivery services, health care startups are booming in popularity. But in their quest to "disrupt" health care, these startups are missing a key point. More
As Patients Struggle With Bills, Hospital Sues Thousands
The New York Times More
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The following are primary blocks that are being used extensively on the site. Media Mentions on the Newsroom page Post Grid block provided by Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg. Set to display posts from the Headlines/In the News that are tagged with In The News. Block can also be configured to display posts with a different […] More
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Shortcode to display a faceted Issues posts grid. Shortcode to display a carousel of Issue terms with their description and icon. More
Shortchanged: Why British Life Expectancy Has Stalled
For the first time in modern history, Britons in some areas are living shorter lives, with poor lifestyles, depression and budget cuts the leading causes.
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LOWN26: ConfrontingHealthcare Affordability May 21, 2026 | Cambridge, MA LEARN MORE & REGISTER The 2025 Shkreli Awards A top ten list of healthcare’s worst stories VIEW Unnecessary Back Surgeries Older Americans put at risk; billions of Medicare dollars wasted VIEW America’s Most Socially Responsible Hospitals Setting the standard by measuring what matters VIEW Hospital financialassistance […] More
Dealing with the shortage of rural physicians
Natalie King, MD, a family medicine practitioner, trained in Toledo, Ohio, an inner-city environment less than two hours away from the family farm where she grew up. That residency training prepared her to work in under-resourced urban areas. But when she was offered a job at a community health clinic in Jellico, Tennessee—population 2,217—she didn’t hesitate. Shannon Brownlee, MSc, senior vice president of the Lown Institute, a non-profit organization working to create a more equitable healthcare system, says that in an age of mergers and acquisitions, she would like to see more health systems making greater investments in their rural facilities. More
Patients with incurable disease claim doctor offered cure, took their money and closed office
Five people who all were either patients or consulted with a west Nashville doctor said he offered to cure them of their incurable disease. “There are lots and lots of diseases that can't be cured. So when your doctor says I can cure you. Or, it's a good thing you came to me, you should start having your antenna raised,” Brownlee said. More
How Medicine Became the Stealth Family-Friendly Profession
The New York Times More
The Hidden Drug Problem of Older Adults: Medication Overload
Medication overload (also known as polypharmacy) is a serious problem among older adults. It’s getting new attention as efforts to make health care more “age-friendly” spread around the US. More
Health care needs to be “disrupted,” but not in the way startups think
To Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, health care is a sector ripe for disruption. They’re not wrong, given skyrocketing health care spending that’s yielding diminishing returns on health. From high-tech fitness trackers to genome sequencing and pill delivery services, the number of health care startups has exploded. In 2018, investors poured more than $8 billion into digital health startups, up from $5.7 billion invested the year before on the promise of shaking up health care, and innovating our way to better health. More
Proton center marks 10 years in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Proton Center is completing upgrades to software and equipment as it anticipates treating its 3,000th cancer patient this fall.
However, not everyone within the medical community is sold on proton therapy, which has not been widely proven to be more successful than standard radiation that is much cheaper.
“It’s controversial because it’s incredibly expensive, and there isn’t any evidence that it actually works for many of the ways it’s being used,” Shannon Brownlee, senior vice president at the Lown Institute, a Brookline-based health care think tank, told the Boston Globe this year.
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Top U.S. medical centers roll out DNA sequencing clinics for healthy (and often wealthy) clients
StatNews More