5 things you need to do when buying health insurance
In June the state approved significant hikes for the more than 240,000 Oregonians who buy their own policies and are not on Medicare. Open enrollment for people buying their own polices started Nov. 1. Consumers have until the end of December to get a new 2016 plan in...
High U.S. Health Spending Likely a Result of More Technology, Higher Prices, New Analysis Finds
Despite spending far more on health care than other high-income countries in 2013, Americans had comparatively poor health outcomes, including shorter life expectancy and higher rates of chronic conditions, according to a new Commonwealth Fund analysis. Coauthors...
Even Hospitals Are Confused About Healthcare Costs
Great story on The Take Away today about how the ACA is pushing health providers to move away from fee for service to quality based pricing and what exactly does that...
Conversations about the Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic in the US
Here & Now started a series of conversations about the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic that is hitting many parts of the country. Part 1: Heroin Claims Two Sons in one Massachusetts Family Host Robin Young talks with a mother from Massachusetts who is part of...
As I See It: The war on health inequity
It is rather sobering to think that despite our outstanding natural and human resources, and our youthful optimism, our nation has won very few wars since its independence. Surely, we won significant skirmishes against Mexico and Spain, and the legendary “greatest...
Primary Care Providers’ Views of Recent Trends in Health Care Delivery and Payment
A new survey from The Commonwealth Fund and The Kaiser Family Foundation asked primary care providers—physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants—about their experiences with and reactions to recent changes in health care delivery and payment. Providers’...
Should Doctors Be Using Their Smartphones In The Operating Room?
From the home to the workplace, smartphones are a mainstay of modern life. But in many instances, access to this technology bloomed so quickly that smartphone availability outpaced the development of rules and policies governing their use. This is an especially hot...
Improving Medicare’s Ability to Serve Patients Needing Complex Care
A long-recognized shortcoming of Medicare is its lack of coverage for home- and community-based services, which enable people with complex conditions to live independently. While Medicaid does cover this care, less than a third of Medicare beneficiaries with complex...
Oregon’s Farm to School and School Garden Programs Leading the Nation with New Funding for Every School
In July of 2015, the Oregon legislature greatly expanded support for farm to school and school garden programs, with a $3.3 million dollar additional allocation through SB 5507 on the last day of the legislative session. That funding, and the policy changes that went...
Earl Blumenauer Q&A on Medicare’s end-of-life discussions, Sarah Palin and ‘death panels’
Portland Congressman Earl Blumenauer won a big victory this week when Medicare officials said they plan to reimburse doctors for talking with seniors about their wishes for end-of-life care. The Democratic lawmaker first brought this concept to Congress and was...
Recent Comments