Our Health Policy Matters

You shouldn’t have to worry about anything during vacation season. So this column is my vacation gift to you. It is about all the health policy matters we seem to worry about the least.  I have written close to 150 columns.  If you look down the right side of the page, you will find links to the ten most-read ones.  The subjects won’t surprise you – fairness in mental health treatment, Obamacare and private insurance, and cursed football players lead the way. But do you ever wonder about the columns with the fewest readers? Based solely and unscientifically on my numbers, here are a half dozen or so health policy matters we seem to care about the least. Long Term Care.  Are you worried about continuing high unemployment rates, taxes on small businesses, or another stock market crash ruining your family’s financial security?   If so, you should redirect that worry.  Because US Trust CEO Keith Banks called long term care costs...

You shouldn’t have to worry about anything during vacation season. So this column is my vacation gift to you. It is about all the health policy matters we seem to worry about the least.  I have written close to 150 columns.  If you look down the right side of the page, you will find links to the ten most-read ones.  The subjects won’t surprise you – fairness in mental health treatment, Obamacare and private insurance, and cursed football players lead the way. But do you ever wonder about the columns with the fewest readers? Based solely and unscientifically on my numbers, here are a half dozen or so health policy matters we seem to care about the least. Long Term Care.  Are you worried about continuing high unemployment rates, taxes on small businesses, or another stock market crash ruining your family’s financial security?   If so, you should redirect that worry.  Because US Trust CEO Keith Banks called long term care costs...

The next time Florida’s Governor tells you that the only way to create private sector jobs is to cut public sector health spending, don’t believe him.   According to news reports , the Governor’s Office is already warning state health agencies to expect more budget cuts in 2012.   He wants the dollars to implement his 7-7-7 plan to create 700,000 jobs in 7 years. source: US DOL data, 2011 How’s the plan working out for Florida so far? Dismally, by two different measures.   The first is the 2011 state unemployment claims data.   The second is the story of why Florida just lost another 7,500 jobs in health research. The 2011 unemployment data show that Florida’s Governor has been more effective at killing jobs than creating them.   The week before Governor Scott took office, 14,139 Floridians lost their jobs and filed new unemployment claims.   In 36 of the 37 weeks since then, the number has been higher than that.   Another 15,713 Florid...

The next time Florida’s Governor tells you that the only way to create private sector jobs is to cut public sector health spending, don’t believe him.   According to news reports , the Governor’s Office is already warning state health agencies to expect more budget cuts in 2012.   He wants the dollars to implement his 7-7-7 plan to create 700,000 jobs in 7 years. source: US DOL data, 2011 How’s the plan working out for Florida so far? Dismally, by two different measures.   The first is the 2011 state unemployment claims data.   The second is the story of why Florida just lost another 7,500 jobs in health research. The 2011 unemployment data show that Florida’s Governor has been more effective at killing jobs than creating them.   The week before Governor Scott took office, 14,139 Floridians lost their jobs and filed new unemployment claims.   In 36 of the 37 weeks since then, the number has been higher than that.   Another 15,713 Florid...

A few weeks ago, we were tantalized by the news that a new treatment for leukemia might be on the horizon.   Three very sick patients were injected with a new drug.   It was made from – of all things – a modified version of the virus that causes AIDS.   After a year, two were disease-free and the third had a 70% reduction in disease tissue.   One researcher was quoted as saying that the results “exceeded our wildest expectations.” But the rest of the story pointed out that the discovery almost didn’t happen.   There wasn’t enough research money for a full trial.   Neither the National Cancer Institute nor pharmaceutical companies had funding for the research.   A family foundation stepped up, but that’s why there were only enough funds for three patients to participate initially. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest funder of biomedical research in the United States.   In requesting a budget of $32 billion for FY2012, it n...

A few weeks ago, we were tantalized by the news that a new treatment for leukemia might be on the horizon.   Three very sick patients were injected with a new drug.   It was made from – of all things – a modified version of the virus that causes AIDS.   After a year, two were disease-free and the third had a 70% reduction in disease tissue.   One researcher was quoted as saying that the results “exceeded our wildest expectations.” But the rest of the story pointed out that the discovery almost didn’t happen.   There wasn’t enough research money for a full trial.   Neither the National Cancer Institute nor pharmaceutical companies had funding for the research.   A family foundation stepped up, but that’s why there were only enough funds for three patients to participate initially. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest funder of biomedical research in the United States.   In requesting a budget of $32 billion for FY2012, it n...