Summary: Two recent articles characterize systemic trends and illustrate one patient’s struggles with corporate goals, values, and tactics permeating health insurance.

Value-Based Payment Is the New For-Profit

Summary: A survey of California physicians finds that Medicare fee-for-service payments, not keeping pace with inflation, don’t cover their costs to provide care. Big caveat: biased

Summary: Medicare Advantage has overwhelming problems, progressive health policy organizations agree. Can it be fixed with a comprehensive set of far-reaching reforms? Physicians for a National

Summary: Recently three leading progressive organizations (Just Care USA, Social Security Works, and Center for Health and Democracy) wrote to two federal health agency leads, offering

Jane Fonda Lymphoma Care, Instagram, September 2, 2022, @janefonda

Summary: Decreased pay for hard-working pharmacists, and growing support for unions. Maybe there’s a connection.

Summary: President Biden yesterday gave a critically important speech on the need to fight MAGA Republican efforts to destroy US democracy. Our health care system is

Summary: In a sad echo of 2020, US longevity again fell in 2021 – from 77 to 76 years. Two proximate causes – COVID and chronic

Summary: Private equity sees large financial returns in the nursing home business, and is willing to maximize that profit by cutting services at the expense of

Summary: A new study finds that privately-insured individuals with chronic illness are far more likely to have medical debt that is delinquent or in collections, and

Summary: Recently House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation to Taiwan, affirming US support for the country’s continued independence as China stridently pursues reunification.

Summary: Amazon just entered the medical provider business, buying a large medical firm. Their goal: to make money by finding insured, well-off, and inexpensive patients. It’s