Category: Opinions

July 18, 2019

A trial of a new curriculum to improve soft skills in secondary school children has shown that it can boost their physical health and behavior, as well as changing their career aspirations. The Healthy Minds curriculum, includes elements on building […]

July 17, 2019

Recent years have ushered in a wellness movement that emphasizes body positivity and holistic health over thinness and crash diets. But new federal data suggest that messaging hasn’t fully changed behavior yet. In fact, the report shows that more American […]

July 17, 2019

According to the American Medical Association, about 50 percent of practicing doctors are experiencing burnout and EHRs are a significant driver of this problem. For every hour physicians spend on direct patient care, the report indicates that they spend two […]

July 15, 2019

Last week, President Trump declared his administration would soon issue an executive order mandating a so-called “favored nations” policy in which U.S. government (presumably, Medicare and Medicaid) payments for drugs would be capped at the lowest price paid by a […]

July 12, 2019

Primary care physician compensation has surpassed $266,000 a year, continuing to increase at a faster rate over the last five years than specialist pay at $443,000 as more doctors are rewarded to keep patients healthy, satisfied and out of the […]

July 10, 2019

The healthcare industry in the United States has long been a dichotomy in its embrace of – and resistance to – technology. While some of the world’s finest technology is used to diagnose and treat all manner of illness, patients […]

July 8, 2019

According to a recent Harvard report, physician burnout is “a public health crisis that urgently demands action.” Half of all doctors report troubling symptoms: depression, exhaustion, dissatisfaction and a sense of failure. These physicians are twice as likely to commit […]

July 3, 2019

The health care costs of uncontrolled asthma in the United States are estimated to total $300 billion over the next twenty years, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care […]

June 24, 2019

Consider the possible hefty caregiving needs and costs over an adult’s lifetime: Early child care and education runs nearly $10,000 annually for the parent of a toddler, on average. Family caregivers spend roughly $7,000 on caregiving costs, on average, according […]

June 20, 2019

U.S. suicide rates are at their highest since World War II, according to federal data—and the opioid crisis, widespread social media use and high rates of stress may be among the myriad contributing factors. In 2017, 14 out of every […]

June 20, 2019

The crisis in drug pricing has reached global proportions. According to a recent article in The Economist, “THESE DAYS it is hard to find a government that is not struggling with the high price of medicines. …[T]he unaffordability of medicines…[is […]

June 20, 2019

The presidential hopefuls aren’t the only ones eyeing health care issues for 2020. Large employers are putting together benefit plans for next year, and they are expecting the rise in employee health costs to hit a four-year high, in part, […]

June 19, 2019

You’re in the park going for a run, and your wearable device is tracking your performance, your heart rate, and various other aspects of your physical health. Pooling this data over a period of time gives you a strong idea […]

June 18, 2019

Enrollment of seniors in private Medicare Advantage plans could reach 70% of those eligible for federal health benefits for the elderly between 2030 and 2040, a new report shows. For now, the regulatory and political environment remains positive for expansion […]

June 11, 2019

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 17.9 million deaths worldwide each year are due to cardiovascular disease, accounting for an estimated 31% of yearly global deaths. The WHO note that heart attacks and strokes account for about 85% of […]