Maggots, Rape and Yet Five Stars: How U.S. Ratings of Nursing Homes Mislead the Public
Nursing homes have manipulated the influential star system in ways that have masked deep problems — and left them unprepared for Covid-19. More
Did CDC Delays in Up-To-Date Masking Advice Cost Health Workers’ Lives?
Researchers say “very low”-quality research from the 2003 SARS outbreak drove guidelines on who got the best PPE, leaving those most at risk exposed. More
High-Deductible Health Plans for US Children: Trends, Health Service Use, and Financial Barriers to Care
Few studies have examined children's enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and associations with health service use. We examine trends, health service use, and financial barriers to care for US children with high-deductible private insurance. More
Can we put a ceiling on hospital prices?
In JAMA, Michael Chernew and Maximilian Pany argue that a price cap on the higher end of hospital prices would save tens of billions. More
Covid-19 conflicts of interest go beyond pharma
Dr. Vivek Murthy, Biden's pick for surgeon general, was recently found to have accepted significant consulting payments from private companies. Should this disqualify him from the position? More
How One Firm Put an ‘Extraordinary Burden’ on the U.S.’s Troubled Stockpile
The shortage of lifesaving medical equipment last year was a searing example of the government’s failed coronavirus response. As health workers resorted to wearing trash bags, one Maryland company profited by selling anthrax vaccines to the country’s emergency reserve. More
Blue Cross of Minnesota lawsuit takes aim at ‘Pharma bro’
Lawsuit alleges monopoly scheme by drug company once headed by now imprisoned Martin Shkreli. More
High Staff Turnover at U.S. Nursing Homes Poses Risks for Residents’ Care
A new study highlights the persistent problems caused by an unstable work force, an underlying threat that may have led to staggering death tolls in the pandemic. More
Providers weigh long-term risks, rewards of post-COVID collaboration
Regional health systems are working together more than ever to combat COVID-19, and are hopeful the collaborative spirit will endure, if regulators allow it. More
The Cost of Miscarriage is High — Not Just Emotionally, But Financially
"Having to pay that much for the worst thing that’s ever happened to me was so hard." More
Hospitals’ Medicare billing practices suggest upcoding, OIG says
The number of inpatient stays billed at the highest severity codes increased nearly 20% over a six-year period while length of stay decreased. More
What the Post-Pandemic Hospital Might Look Like
The rise of telemedicine, the need to move care closer to communities and the likelihood of future viruses are changing the infrastructure of health care. More
Op-Ed: Vivek Murthy’s Multimillion Dollar Conflicts Are Cause for Concern
The Surgeon General nominee will only treat corporate America's woes More
Private equity ownership is killing people at nursing homes
A new study describes the human toll of private equity firms buying up nursing homes. More
Medicare Cuts Payment to 774 Hospitals Over Patient Complications
The federal government has penalized 774 hospitals for having the highest rates of patient infections or other potentially avoidable medical complications. More
Overcoming the Market Dominance of Hospitals
This Viewpoint reviews the conditions which incentivize consolidation of health systems, hospitals, and physician practices into entities that decrease health care quality and increase prices. More
Health insurance execs’ salaries grew faster than company revenue in 2020
A new report found that average executive pay among health insurers outpaced revenue growth by up to 10 percentage points in 2020. More
EP310: The 2020 Shkreli Awards for the Worst Examples of Profiteering and Dysfunction in Health Care
"Covid was like a blinding flash, a glare of x-ray that revealed the flaws, fragmentation, and dysfunction going on the health care system," said Dr. Vikas Saini. "Most of this behavior is not illegal, it's merely unethical. That's why it's not enough to prosecute, we have to change the cultural norms in health care," said Shannon Brownlee. More
Opinion: To really lower health-care costs, look beyond prescription drugs
All health-care services must be scrutinized for waste. More
Lack of Covid Data on People with Intellectual Disabilities ‘Comes With a Body Count’
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to have medical conditions that make covid especially dangerous. More