I always enjoy speaking to and reading Dr. William Sullivan’s work and opinions in the field of medical legal issues. I think that he is truly a thought leader in emergency medicine. His February 2016 article in Emergency Physicians Monthly is very thought provoking. In this article, he explores the use of the phrase “standard… Read More
This study compares prevalence and trends in marijuana use and marijuana use disorder from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions with those from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Over the past decade with the easing of state laws, the use of marijuana has increased by almost 20%. However, based… Read More
Healthcare is a beast and industry that is quite different from many others. If you are an uber rider and your driver is rude or gets lost, you likely wont die. Also where as Uber has stumbled with regulations, healthcare is probably the most regulated industry in the United States. This article looks at whether… Read More
The anxiety from medical malpractice claims can be overwhelming. It is not uncommon or unheard of that doctors practice defensive medicine, are consumed with anxiety when they are sued, that lawsuits have lead to divorce, burnout, and even suicide. A RAND article looked at The Doctors Company data and concluded that the average physician spends… Read More
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) whose primary goal is make healthcare more affordable and decrease costs increased 5.3% in 2014. This is the largest increase since 2007. While physician and hospital charges increased modestly, pharmaceutical spending increased dramatically at over 12%. But spending from Medicaid increased also by 11% primarily through increased enrollment. The U.S.… Read More
Atrial Fibrillation is a very common condition that can lead to strokes and other debilitating conditions. This is a preliminary study that looks at a possible association between flu shots and decreased incidence of the development of atrial fibrillation. This study was based on information from the Taiwan health study that took place over a… Read More
Health Care Industry Spent $243 Million in 2013 Lobbying ObamaCare Over 2,400 individuals are registered as lobbyists for the health-care sector. It is important to note, however, that this number, and the total spent, is likely a fraction of what the industry is spending to influence the government on ObamaCare. Direct lobbying only covers a… Read More
Employers who for the most part pay the bill of healthcare should be the target of physicians thoughts about insurance companies’ inappropriate actions and coverage. Employers are clearly getting tired of paying double digit increases for the cost of medical care for their employees. A Wall Street Journal article discusses the new alliance that is… Read More
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and later shorted to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and commonly referred to as ObamaCare professed to provide universal coverage for all Americans. Unfortunately even with legal and financial mandates, there are still a tremendous number of uninsured Americans. This number does not include the number of… Read More
