healthcare costs

At the Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition 2013 next week, the apex of all the tracks, breakout sessions and likely hallway conversations will be engaging patients while lowering care costs. Read More »

David U. Himmelstein M.D. is a Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York at Hunter College and a Visiting Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  He graduated from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, completed a medical residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, a fellowship in General Internal Medicine at Harvard and practiced primary care internal medicine at the public hospital in Cambridge, MA for 28 years... Read More »

Tools are available that can help reduce the number of duplicative or otherwise unnecessary diagnostic tests doctors order. And although their main function is not cost containment, these systems can have a profound effect on the bottom line. EHRs, for example, when properly implemented, can keep clinicians informed of recent lab tests and imaging studies--through the magic of HL7...
Read More »

For the next few months we’ll be bombarded by messages from the Obama administration urging people, especially young, healthy people, to sign up for insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. Without them, premiums for that insurance will soon climb to unaffordable levels. Read More »

Six U.S. Senators claim that the $35 billion Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs are not achieving their goals and require a “reboot.” Read More »

By rejecting patent applications, developing countries have kept down the costs of much-needed medications. Can they continue to do so without harming efforts to develop new drugs? Read More »