Summary: A chief health officer and pediatrician at Indiana University speaks plain and powerful truth about growing insurance cost-sharing – it’s designed to reward insurers, to
The McCanne Health Justice Monitor is produced by a team of health policy experts and single-payer champions. For more information, and a complete archive of entries, visit the HJM website. For an archive of Quote of the Day entries from Dr. Don McCanne, click here.
Oh So Many Problems with Medicare Advantage
Summary: A news article reports on Congressional hearings on problems with Medicare Advantage. An academic article describes big challenges and valuable public benefits lost if traditional
Private Care Outsourcing in the UK Increases Mortality
Summary: An important study in the United Kingdom finds that care contracting with for-profit companies sharply raises preventable mortality. Privatization with for-profit providers threatens health outcomes
Freedom in Health Care
Summary: Independence Day is about celebrating freedom. Let’s contemplate the freedoms we can achieve with universal health insurance.
Comment:
By Jim Kahn, M.D., M.P.H.
On this day in 1776
Medical Debt – Inadequacy of Mainstream Policy Options from Our Best Policy Think Tanks (Or: Public Policy Think Tanks are Not Thinking)
Summary: Today’s post by a visiting blogger reflects on recent policy think tank reports on medical debt, and bemoans the lack of attention to a much-needed
Geographic Predictors of Medical Debt
Summary: Recently we reported on a national survey of medical debt. A new report uses credit bureau data to describe which local factors predict high levels
Radio Break
Summary: Reflection seems the order of the day. US politics are in turmoil. Health insurance problems and the need for single payer are clearer than ever.
The Demise of Roe v. Wade, Threats to Democracy & Single Payer
Summary: Yesterday the Supreme Court reversed 50 years of abortion rights established by Roe v. Wade. This attack on reproductive rights and health is an integral
REACH ACO Rules & Plunder of Public Funds
Summary: CMS promised that the Medicare REACH ACO program, which supplants Direct Contracting Entities as a capitated replacement of fee-for-service Medicare, would prevent using diagnostic upcoding
Time to End Health Savings Accounts: Regressive & Ineffective
Summary: Health savings accounts (HSAs) paired with deductibles are regressive: they yield financial gains mostly for healthy individuals with high income. They are justified as reducing
A Framework to Understand Systemic Racism in Health
Summary: Juneteenth commemorates an 1865 US army order to end slavery in Texas. Emancipation was the first essential step to offer Black Americans the opportunity to
Medical Debt in the US: Pervasive, Harmful, Unnecessary
Summary: A new survey on health care debt quantifies its very high prevalence (41%) and the dire consequences for individuals and families: financial insecurity, reduced access