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Private Insurers Pay 241% of What Medicare Would Pay

RAND researchers recommend private insurers move toward fixed-price arrangements

Tool Predicts Seizure Risk During and After Pregnancy

Risk for seizures predicted for pregnant women with epilepsy on medication

Patients Find Note Reading Important for Health Management

Patients find note reading important for their health management and are rarely troubled by what they read.

2018 Saw More Employed Physicians Than Self-Employed

In 2018, employed physicians outnumbered self-employed physicians.

CDC: Uninsurance Levels Did Not Change Significantly in 2018

In 2018, the percentage of U.S. individuals who were uninsured was not significantly different from the numbers in 2017, although uninsurance increased among adults aged 45 to 64 years.

External Reference Pricing Could Cut Drug Costs in US

Prices averaged 3.2 to 4.1 times higher in U.S.; differential varied from 1.3 to 70.1 for individual drugs

Broader Medicaid Eligibility May Be a Tool for Reducing Substance Use Disorder-Related Deaths

Expanded Medicaid eligibility thresholds were associated with a reduction in substance use disorder-related deaths during the current US opioid epidemic.

Subspecialty Consultative Care Varies for Patients Enrolled in Medicare

Researchers evaluated the use of subspecialty consultation for Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for nonsurgical conditions, compared payments for consultative and nonconsultative care, and assessed payment differences across hospital referral regions.

Balancing an ED Revenue-Generating Model With Community-Based Health

This case asks how a hospital should balance patients’ health needs with its financial bottom line regarding emergency department utilization.

Mortality Rates Underestimated in the Social Security Administration Death Master File

The Social Security Administration Death Master File data appeared unreliable and should not be used alone by researchers to estimate mortality rates.

Telehealth Video Visits Risk Fragmenting Care

Although telehealth video visits offer users greater convenience, they risk fragmenting care without greater coordination with usual care providers.

More Than Half of Internal Medicine Graduates Choosing Primary Care

More than half of internal medicine graduates in 2016 and 2017 pursued a career in primary care.

ACP Recommendations to Achieve Universal Health Care Insurance Coverage

Based on initial gains in health care access from the passage of the 2010 Patient Protection and ACA, the ACP offers recommendations on how to improve the law and achieve universal health care coverage.

Clinicians Positioned to Support Partnerships That Address Community Health

Clinicians can promote community investment by helping to create the data and demand that will catalyze efforts to address the root causes of ill health.

Sixty People Charged in Massive Opioid Painkiller Investigation

Fifty-three medical professionals, including 31 doctors, are among the 60 people charged by U.S. authorities for their alleged involvement in the illegal prescribing and distribution of opioid painkillers.

Obligations of Health Networks to Transition Patients During Hospital Closures

When considering closing a rural hospital, researchers advised assessment of the potential impact — emotional, economic, practical, and political — on the community and the healthcare organization.

Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefit Policies Should Address Health Disparities

The investigators suggest that community health and health equity become more central goals of Community Benefit, and recommend 4 changes to federal policy that will help prioritize community health needs and foster greater collaboration with key community partners.

Pass Me the Psychological Scalpel: Lessons on Resilience for Doctors

As rates of physician burnout continue to climb, a diverse group of researchers weigh in on enhancing resilience and particularly emphasize enlightening educators about how resilience develops during residency.

The Value of Health Systems Science Education

The authors advocate for increased use of system-based practice in undergraduate and graduate medical school.

Physicians Weigh In on Wave of Fetal Heartbeat Bills Across the United States

Georgia has been added to the growing list of states, including Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee, that have passed so-called fetal heartbeat bills.