Drug advertisements that scare
Despite larger health threats consuming the nation this year, pharma did not let up on their fear-mongering advertisements. Check out a few of the scariest-- if you dare! More
CMS incorrectly penalizes hospitals in readmissions program, study finds
The incorrect penalties stem from margins of error associated with the 30-day risk-adjusted readmission measure the program relies on. More
Surprise Billing for Colonoscopy: The Scope of the Problem
Federal law eliminates consumer cost sharing for multiple methods of colorectal cancer screening, including colonoscopy when done by an in-network provider. However, some patients having screening incur considerable out-of-pocket costs because out-of-network bills are not included in federal mandates. More
How do Massachusetts hospitals stack up on the Lown Hospitals Index?
At a presentation for the Massachusetts Health Data Collaborative, Vikas Saini and Shannon Brownlee discussed why they created the Lown Hospitals Index, how the metrics were developed, and what the results show about hospitals in Massachusetts. Watch the full presentation here! More
Trump boasted he made insulin so cheap ‘it’s like water.’ Americans with diabetes beg to differ.
The president said at Tuesday’s debate that he lowered insulin prices. That’s not true — and, for some, the drug’s expense is a fatal barrier. More
Sky-High Drug Prices Driven by Pharma Profits, House Dems Charge
Enormous drug company profits are the primary driver of soaring prescription drug prices in America, according to a damning investigation that Democrats on the House Oversight Committee began releasing Wednesday. More
UMass-Clinton Hospital among top 10 in index
The UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital campus in Leominster leads the state in the new Lown Institute Hospitals Index, a ranking of 3,300 hospitals and 300 hospital systems launched this summer. “It’s not necessarily the usual suspects that you’re going to find at the top of these rankings,” said Shannon Brownlee, the institute’s senior vice president. Lown Institute President Dr. Vikas Saini said the index is meant to help shape a discussion around health-care quality and unearth new ideas, rather than serve as a shopping guide for consumers. More
For two decades, the FDA approval process for opioids had numerous shortcomings, study finds
“Our study shows that there are evidence gaps that the FDA needs to address in approving new opioids,” said study co-author Thomas Moore. More
Increase transparency at the FDA: We need sunlight to fight the pandemic
To restore public trust in the FDA's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it needs to recommit to transparency and promote accountability. More
Some Georgia hospitals keep pandemic information to themselves
Experts say lives and safety are at stake as public attention wanes More