In research published in 2020, one of the themes was that minority patients were viewed as more challenging by physicians, their leaders, and the research staff. There’s a lot to unpack here. More
The rejection of the new Alzheimer’s drug by the two major medical centers is one of the starkest signs of concern over its approval by the F.D.A. More
Today, The Get the Medications Right™ (GTMRx) Institute is sharing the results of a new survey that assesses the medication management habits and needs of over 1,000 people. Among the findings, nearly one quarter of people surveyed cited that their medications are not routinely reviewed and evaluated by their medical team—a shocking fact, given that one-third are taking four or more medications and/or supplements per day. More
Lown intern Neil Trivedi shares his journey through the health care system, from admiration to disillusionment to inspiration. More
Disinfecting surfaces does little to curb Covid's spread. So why are two big health nonprofits working with Clorox? More
This Viewpoint discusses the US Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway and proposes the need for reforms as well as the timely completion of postapproval trials. More
In the early 1940s, Bernard Lown, MD, was temporarily expelled from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine after it was discovered that, in an act of protest, he had purposely altered blood-bottle labels that indicated the race of the blood donor from whom it was drawn. After a threatened protest, Dr. Lown—the inventor of the defibrillator—was reinstated but removed from his job at the blood bank, which continued to segregate its supply according to the race of the donor. Some 80 years after Dr. Lown’s encounter with that baseless form of medical racism, the organization that bears his name—the Lown Institute—has released data showing that many of the nation’s urban hospital markets are highly segregated. More
"There's been an assumption that these hospitals that don't pay taxes are spared the taxes because they provide a community benefit," said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute.
The institute's analysis shows that is not necessarily the case, Saini said. Nearly three-quarters of private nonprofit hospitals nationwide spent less on community benefits than they received in tax breaks. That translated into a total deficit of $17 billion.
The rate was even higher in New York City, where 33 of 40 private hospitals spent less than they got in tax breaks, the institute's analysis found.
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This Viewpoint outlines policy changes to make academic promotions more equitable for women physicians. More
Most low-income workers still want the shot, though. More
The value of the nonprofit tax exemption is worth tens of billions to hospitals. But what are we getting back in exchange for this hefty tax break? Watch the launch video for a discussion of community benefit standards, hospital billing practices, and fair share spending with health policy experts. More
Though all nonprofit hospitals enjoy big tax breaks, many fail to make commensurate investments in community health, according to a new analysis from the Lown Institute. The Institute today released Community Benefit findings from its 2021 Hospitals Index, that show nonprofit hospitals collectively failed to invest nearly $17 billion in their communities. More
This year, US News & World Report will be incorporating the Spinal Fusion Overuse metric from the Lown Index into their “Best Hospitals” ranking. More
Which US hospitals are conducting predatory billing practices like suing or overcharging patients? A new analysis using Lown Institute data grades hospitals on their billing practices. More
This cross-sectional study uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to assess whether higher-performing hospitals are more likely to advertise their services directly to consumers. More
Since January, hospitals were supposed to be disclosing true prices for their services, as a way to empower patients to shop around. Turns out, compliance is spotty and the data can be hard to find. More
The Biden administration released the first part of regulations to implement a law that bans surprise medical bills, outlining what types of charges will be outlawed starting in 2022. More
Although most well-known patient organizations have important missions and provide invaluable services to patients, many appear unable or unwilling to take positions on consumer issues such as lowering prescription drug prices that might anger their drug corporation funders.
Plans like United Healthcare say it’s necessary to contain health care costs. Experts say it’s the wrong approach. More