Health Care : Medical care costs |
The relative costs of medical care in different countries; monopolistic practices in the medical care market; the issue of price controls on health care costs, including drug as well as physician and hospital treatment costs.
1/6/09 DO AMERICAN DOCTORS AND PHARMACISTS ACT LIKE P.T. BARNUM FOR THE HEALTH CARE COSTS OF THEIR CLIENTS? A California Nurses Association advocate thinks so, citing the travails of her husband in trying to traverse the tangle of dishonesty and greed that she believes prevails in the U.S. health care system and that makes "suckers" of its patients. Learning that an inexpensive vitamin tablet would have the same medical effects as an expensive prescription drug is just one of the disillusionments that she and other Americans experience when they try to be "personally responsible" for their own medical care, but find themselves afloat in a sea of professional irresponsibility that is built into the "system." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/05
INTERNATIONAL
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Analysis & views: 3/20/08 European Union complaining that government of Thailand, in effort to assure affordable medicines for its people, is violating the "intellectual property" (patent) rights of EU pharmaceutical companies. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41653 8/31/07 Fees charged at clinics put health care out of reach for many in Sierra Leone. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6939290.stm 5/25/06 Rising health care costs are a serious global concern: http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=B20%7D&siteid=google 4/3/06 Health care costs to rise substantially if Australian government sells a publicly owned insurer: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18706442-421,00.html
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NATIONAL
Websites: National Coalition on Health Care: California Health Care Foundation, Consumer-Directed Health Plans: http://www.chcf.org/topics/healthinsurance/index.cfm?itemID=111973 California Health Care Foundation, Health Care Costs 101, 2005 Edition: http://www.chcf.org/topics/healthinsurance/index.cfm?itemID=109369
Analysis & views: 1/6/09 DO AMERICAN DOCTORS AND PHARMACISTS ACT LIKE P.T. BARNUM FOR THE HEALTH CARE COSTS OF THEIR CLIENTS? A California Nurses Association advocate thinks so, citing the travails of her husband in trying to traverse the tangle of dishonesty and greed that she believes prevails in the U.S. health care system and that makes "suckers" of its patients. Learning that an inexpensive vitamin tablet would have the same medical effects as an expensive prescription drug is just one of the disillusionments that she and other Americans experience when they try to be "personally responsible" for their own medical care, but find themselves afloat in a sea of professional irresponsibility that is built into the "system." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/05 1/28/08 Catastrophic medical costs becoming more catastrophic for many Americans: With insurance coverage limits still pegged at pre-inflation medical cost levels, more Americans are finding that their expenses exceed their carriers' "caps" relatively quickly, making them liable for paying for organ transplants and other expensive medical procedures. 1/8/08 U.S. elders are facing big increase in premiums on drug prescription insurance as 2008 begins. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/010708B.shtml 3/8/07 Protests being mounted in New York against Governor's proposed $1 billion cut in health care assistance. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lihosp0308,0,6367533.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines 11/24/06 Pharmaceutical companies preparing to battle Democratic controlled Congress over efforts to allow government negotiation for lower drug prices for those on Medicare. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/24/washington/24drug.html?th&emc=th 10/25/06 Doing well while doing good: Hospitals in several cities around the U.S. are learning that it is cheaper for them to provide free basic care for the uninsured than to bear the expenses of their use of emergency room services when their untreated illness cause health crises. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/health/25insure.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 10/5/06 Citing "political pressure," U.S. customs stops seizing shipments of drugs ordered by mail from Canada. Florida Senator Bill Nelson hails this as a "great victory" for seniors. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127747/ 4/14/06 Oakland school teachers on the verge of a strike over exploding helath care costs in California: http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=04-14-06&storyID=23888 4/14/06 Ex-Kansas Gov. sees answer to rising health costs in better "moral" decisions. Such as blocking health care for the elderly, obese, and those who smoke: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/14338121.htm 4/8/06 Michigan prepares to confront soaring health care costs: http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4746433&nav=0Rce 4/7/06 Poll: Health care costs a big burden even for the wealthy: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/1500AP_Wealthy_Health_Care_Costs.html 4/7/06 Devil in the details: Massachusetts must now develop a plan that will implement its program of nearly universal health insurance coverage: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/business/07health.html?th&emc=th 4/6/06 President Bush continues to push for disproven health savings accounts as a plan to lower health costs. http://www.bristolpress.com/site/news.cfm?G=461&dept_id=10486&rfi=6 4/6/06 Massachusetts set to become first state to provide nearly universal health care system for its residents: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040506N.shtml 4/5/06 Costs of dental care in the U.S. are creating the era of the "dental tourist": http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/05/DENTAL.TMP 3/16/06 Study: Out-of-pocket healthcare costs for families rise sharply http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20060315-024552-7810r 3/11/06 Astronomical rise in cost of Mustragen, a cancer-fighting drug, is unrelated to any increase in the cost of its production: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/business/12price.html?hp&ex=5094&partner=homepag 2/4/06 As Bush touts generic drugs for cost-saving, FDA has backlog of generic drugs applications, no plans to expand review facilities: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/03/AR2006020302598.html?referrer=email 2/2/06 The wage squeeze and higher health costs: http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/ib218
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FLORIDA:
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Analysis & views: 5/2/08 Hospital shopping with price comparison would be encouraged by law passed by legislature and awaiting Governor's signature that would require hospitals to provide pre-admission statements of anticipated costs for an admission. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/03/law-would-require-florida-hospitals-disclose-what-/ 10/24/06 Wal-Mart's deal to sell generic drugs for $4 has generated much favorable publicity, but only a relatively small numer of drugs are included and consumers should be aware of competitively attractive offer of independent pharmacists. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1023-31.htm 10/5/06 Wal Mart pushes forward by 4 months its plan to market $4 generic drugs throughout Florida. 3/14/06 Yesterday's reported refusal of state Medicaid agency to pay for feeding supplements for disabled is disputed by the agency, which blames "lack of understanding" by doctors of the program: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14092078.htm
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FLORIDA LOCALITIES
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Analysis and views: Palm Beach County: 11/27/06 Survey in Palm Beach County shows that many Medicaid recipients are unable to get medical treatment from area doctors. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/content/business/epaper/2006/11/26/m1a_MEDICAID_1126.html 5/8/06 Seniors in South Florida, as elsewhere, can expect more calculations, higher costs as drug plan evolves:
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