Summary: A health care journalist describes in detail his fight to get insulin after changing jobs. The story underscores the absurdity and dangers of our
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.
Alert: Past & Present Privatization of Medicare
Summary: Medicare’s privatization has two phases. Past: Medicare Advantage, an explicit option for enrollees to join private for-profit capitated health plans, with the promise of
California Single Payer Legislation AB 1400
Summary: Excitement in California, the most populous state in the US and very progressive: single payer legislation is forging ahead. AB 1400 passed out of
A Libertarian Appreciates Public Health Insurance
Summary: Conservative columnist Ross Douthat of the NY Times wrote this week about his shifting views on health insurance. He evolved from supporting a fully
Contra-Indicated Care: High with For-Profit Providers, Low with Strong Primary Care
Summary: A new study of all Medicare beneficiaries examined health system factors associated with “low-value care” – medical services that are contra-indicated (shouldn’t be done)
Investor Profit is Not the Solution for Primary Care
Summary: In the U.S. health care system, primary care is often overlooked by companies and investors in search of profit from more remunerative specialty care.
Voting Rights and Single Payer – Strikingly Similar
Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act now facing a filibuster defeat in the US Senate specifies rules to implement fair elections. It is a desperately
Can’t we try harder to find common ground?
Dana Harbor, California, Jan. 11, 2022
By Don McCanne, M.D.
Sandy and I went down to Dana Harbor late this afternoon for our daily walk, my preferred
California Single Payer: Lower Net Cost to Families
Summary: Last week saw the release of a tax plan to finance California’s single payer legislation, AB 1400. It was immediately attacked as a tax
Understanding Insurer Profits: “4.5%” = 30%
Summary: Today we scrutinize health insurer profit margins. Magically, a modest apparent margin of 4.5% reveals itself upon closer inspection to be a ginormous 30%.
Deception Comeuppance: Theranos & Privatized US Health Insurance
Summary: Yesterday Elizabeth Holmes was convicted of four counts of fraudulently representing the capabilities of Theranos, her incredibly hyped lab tech company. Good; that was
Temporary & Tenuous Health System Boosts Don’t Cut it
Summary: The ACA is currently more generous and thus popular, but it’s time-limited. The “Build Back Better” bill proposes some incremental fixes, but they’re tenuous.
