Do Not Resuscitate: How We Spend Trillions to Enrich Intermediaries Instead of Making Ourselves Healthier
How we enrich financial intermediaries instead of using healthcare spending for healthcare and how to see through the propaganda we’re subjected to daily to make us think this is normal via a weekly summary of news coverage in mainstream and specialty media.
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Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
The DOGEbags have declared war on the civil service and the country's scientific research infrastructure. Permanent damage to ensue. Medicaid is next--can Medicare and Social Security be far behind?
Links to the articles discussed in this episode:
Dave Muoio, “Department of Veterans Affairs lays off over 1,000 probationary employees, promises reinvestment in care,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/419cCJI
Lizzy Lawrence, “FDA’s head of device safety among employees terminated in ‘challenging’ weekend,” STAT, Feb 18, 2025 https://bit.ly/42ZBF4r
Helen Branswell, “Drug inspectors, AI experts, maternal health workers: Trump’s health agency cuts are far-reaching,” STAT, Feb 17, 2025 https://bit.ly/416XooB
Matthew Herper, “FDA’s former top food official says Trump firings are ‘dismantling’ the division,” STAT, Feb 18, 2025 https://bit.ly/41lRUYj
Adam Feuerstein, “As outcry builds over Trump cuts to NIH payments, drugmakers are MIA,” STAT, Feb 11, 2025 https://bit.ly/3X7abX8
Christopher Morten et al., Gilead’s short-term win threatens the future of pharmaceutical public-private partnerships,” STAT, Feb 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/418Hiel
Robin Fields, “What a $2 million per dose gene therapy reveals about drug pricing,” ProPublica, Feb 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/3CNSBjY
Suzanne B. Robotti, “FDA clinical trial inclusivity guidelines will be back,” STAT, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/433uTdX
Stephanie Nolen, “Abandoned in the middle of clinical trials because of a Trump order,” New York Times, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hAm7IZ
Angus Chen & Jonathan Wosen, “Trump policies spark fears of brain drain, threatening to undermine U.S. dominance in biomedicine,” STAT, Feb 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/42XvcHp
Rachael Robertson, “Meet the world’s healthcare billionaires,” MedPage Today, Feb 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/418Q4J0
Maureen Tkacik, “The DOGE czar’s plan to loot Medicare,” American Prospect, Feb 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/4b8J6Z7
Chad Van Alstin, “Private equity tied to 21% of healthcare bankruptcies for second consecutive year,” Health Exec, Feb 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EFV14K
Ken Klippenstein, “Government monitoring those with ‘negative’ views of health insurance companies,” kenklippenstein.com, Jan 18, 2025 https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/government-monitoring-those-with
Jim Reed, “Rise of vaccine distrust—why more of us are questioning jabs,” BBC, Jan 15, 2025 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1jgrlxx37do
“States absorb increases for sicker Medicaid enrollees after the pandemic,” Associated Press, Feb 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/4b92OEn
Anna Claire Vollers, “State lawmakers embrace RFK Jr.’s health policies,” Stateline, Feb 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/43lQXkv
Victor Roy, Victor Amana, Joseph S. Ross & Cary P. Gross, “Shareholder payouts among large publicly traded health care companies,” JAMA Internal Medicine, Feb 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/3QtOvRg
Eric Reinhart, “Health workers face a stark choice: become collaborators or resisters,” STAT, Feb 11, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gJrRyU
J. Emory Parker, “STAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time,” STAT, Feb 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/3QoHm4p
Gregg Gonsalves, “When ‘just asking questions’ about science turns into 300,000 dead,” New York Times, Feb 13, 2025 Opinion | When ‘Just Asking Questions’ About Science Turns Into 300,000 Dead
Full back archive going back to 2018: www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
To get my single payer weekly digest by email, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Thursday Feb 13, 2025
Thursday Feb 13, 2025
On “Do Not Resuscitate I keep you current on the trainwreck of our national healthcare payment system, which Musk and his Hardy Boys are accelerating. This week’s topics are the DOGE invasion; Medicaid on the chopping block; the wrecking ball slamming into biomedical research; and the multiple forms of chaos reining in Washington. I am trying to focus on trends rather than chasing after specific events that change the next day, but I had to leave out a lot.
You can get my full written digest by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com and the full back archive going back to 2018 is housed at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Here are links to all the articles mentioned in the podcast:
Matt Stoller, “Monopoly round-up: On ending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” BIG, Feb 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/411t66S
Dan Diamond, Lauren Kaori Gurley, Lena H. Sun, Hannah Knowles & Emily Davies, “DOGE broadens sweep of federal agencies, gains access to health payment systems,” Washington Post, Feb 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gFSWCW
Eloise Goldsmith, “Medicaid work requirements could boot 36 million people off their health coverage,” Common Dreams, Feb 7, 2025 https://www.commondreams.org/news/republicans-work-requirements-36-million
Hugh Cameron, “Florida removes 1.3m people from health care plan,” Newsweek, Feb 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/41eO4k0
Anna Claire Vollers, “Health insurance for millions could vanish as states put Medicaid expansion on chopping block,” Stateline, Feb 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/3CATPir
Hafiz Rashid, “House GOP reveals plan to devastate Medicaid and food stamp programs,” Yahoo News, Feb 12, 2025 https://www.yahoo.com/news/republicans-reveal-budget-plan-wrecking-221353922.html
Adam Cancryn, “DOGE working with two Trump health appointees to examine Medicare and Medicaid books, Politico, Feb 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/41bilQu
Stephanie Armour, Sam Whitehead & Julie Rovner, “Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too,” KFF Health News, Nov 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3QfpkBz
Kiera Butler, “I’m appalled at the silence from the American Medical Association,” Mother Jones, Feb 4, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hNk1pr Ukrainian hospitals https://bit.ly/3WWLcW5
Noah Tong, “‘Biggest data breach in history’: Labor unions sue Trump admin over Treasury takeover, with healthcare privacy impacts far-ranging, Fierce Healthcare, Feb 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/3QcHmo3
Jonathan Wosen, Megan Molteni, Jason Mast & Usha Lee McFarling, “NIH plans to slash support for indirect research costs, sending shockwaves through science,” STAT, Feb 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/42WO8Gl
Carrie Wolinetz, “Indirect research costs are complicated, wonky—and crucial to science,” STAT, Feb 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/41bGvKz
Scott Turner, “Katie Britt vows to work with RFK Jr. after NIH funding cuts cause concern in Alabama,” AL.com, Feb 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/40Rpa8B
Marcia Brown, “USDA pauses 2 organic programs, leaving farmers on the hook for millions,” E&E News by Politico, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jNBejX
Apoorva Mandavilli, “Foreign aid freeze leaves millions with HIV treatment,” New York Times, Feb 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EBs6i4
Alex Guillén & Annie Snider, “EPA puts 168 staffers on administrative leave,” Politico, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/3WVdnEQ
Jessie Hellmann and Sandhya Raman, “Community health centers caught up in funding freeze,” Roll Call, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/42TjJIK and Shannon Pettypiece & Bracey Harris, “Health clinics face cuts, closures as Trump's funding fight ripples outside of Washington,” NBC News, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EzmDsa
Anil Oza, “Researchers ‘stunned’ after HHMI abruptly cancels program to make science more inclusive,” STAT, Feb 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hu0x8U
Joseph Choi, “The US relies on China for key medicines. They won’t be spared from tariffs,” The Hill, Feb 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/41avitK
Dave Muoio, “Hospitals ask Trump to exempt medical, pharma products from tariffs,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/41ceJhh
Amy Maxmen, “Measles outbreak mounts among children in one of Texas’ least vaccinated counties,” KFF Health News, Feb 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EAXI7u
Robert P. Charrow, “A bold experiment: Let’s bribe West Virginia to reduce its obesity rate,” STAT, Feb. 3, 2025 https://bit.ly/3WZrzNo
Jerome Adams, “America needs a better discourse on DEI,” STAT, Feb 4, 2025 Former surgeon general: America needs a better discourse on DEI
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
On “Do Not Resuscitate" this week, there’s more on RFK Jr's lame performance, the immigration raids and their impact on healthcare, and the usual litany of system collapse indicators. I’m encouraged by how much the dysfunction is becoming clearer to anyone paying attention.
Here are links to all the articles mentioned:
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Sarah Owermohle & Isabella Cueto, “The 7 big topics RFK Jr. addressed during a fiery confirmation hearing,” STAT, Jan 29, 2025
Isabella Cueto, “Analysis: In confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. diagnoses a nation’s health ills but fails to prescribe remedies,” STAT, Jan 29, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EqbTfE
Jessie Hellmann, “Trump’s immigration plans could imperil long-term care workforce,” Roll Call, Jan 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gpAuhZ
Anushka Bhaskar, Aaron S. Kesselheim & Daniel Carpenter, “How to protect HHS, FDA, NIH, and other health agencies from political interference,” STAT, Jan 31, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EAg7kI
Sara Gorman, Heather Lanthorn, Kenneth H. Rabin & Scott C. Ratzan, “‘Safe and effective’ is FDA-speak. It’s time to put it to bed,” MedPage Today, Jan 28, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Q3dkTO
Jeanne Lenzer & Shannon Brownlee, “Big Pharma is pushing potentially deadly Alzheimer’s drugs,” Jacobin, Feb 1, 2025 https://bit.ly/40Zurw2
Katie Dangerfield, “From hearing aids to pacemakers, tariffs may drive up medical device costs,” Global News, Jan 31, 2025 https://bit.ly/4aKo4Qk
Daniel Zingale, “What I learned about health insurance rage as the nation’s first ‘HMO czar,’” STAT, Jan 30, 2025 https://bit.ly/4aKYiLO
Jakob Emerson, “‘We’re going to have to fix this ourselves’: 5 CFOs on navigating Medicare Advantage,” Becker’s Hospital Review, Nov 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3EAbvLn
Samantha Liss, “Indiana governor appoints business leader to shake up health care,” KFF Health News/Governing, Feb 4, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Q6qAHh
Paige Minemyer, “Moody’s downgrades insurers’ credit outlook to negative amid ongoing cost pressures,” Fierce Healthcare, Feb 3, 2025 https://bit.ly/4114NXO
Christopher McGowan, “I no longer think GLP-1s are the answer,” MedPage Today, Jan 30, 2025 https://bit.ly/3CBsZXd
Kristen Monaco, “Most ditch GLP-1 drugs for weight loss within a year,” MedPage Today, Jan 31, 2025 https://bit.ly/3WKUYKW
Andrea Mazzarino, “American the unwell: The corporate greed threatening our stability,” Informed Comment, Aug 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3EnryMx
Lauren Sausser, “Across the South, rural health care has become ‘trendy.’ Medicaid expansion has not,” KFF Health News/Daily Yonder, Feb 3, 2025 https://bit.ly/412wmQA
Paige Minemyer, “Express Scripts takes new steps to improve transparency, address affordability,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 30, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gwjnLt
Bruce Japsen, “Amazon’s One Medical partners with New York’s Montefiore health system,” Forbes, Jan 29, 2025 https://bit.ly/3WNC9qH
Robert Kuttner, “Mass General’s growth comes at expense of affordable health care,” Boston Globe, Jan 11, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jJQdeC
Jonah Valdez, “She exposed a prestigious medical journal’s silence on the holocaust. Now she’s asking about Gaza,” The Intercept, Oct 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4hnqKpv
IM Doc, [comment to its Water Cooler column], Naked Capitalism, Feb 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hOkhDR
My entire archive going back 7 years resides at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
You can get my full written digest weekly by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Friday Jan 31, 2025
Friday Jan 31, 2025
This week on "Do Not Resuscitate" we have to talk about the early slash-and-burn governance of Trump II, which looks likely to backfire though who knows these days? I review some of the voluminous material on the impact on scientific research, the opposition to RFK Jr, the ongoing insanity of private equity taking over healthcare, insurance scams galore, and finally the creepy silence of the medical establishment on the slaughter of doctors in Gaza.
Links to all the articles mentioned are here:
Angus Chen, Usha Lee McFarling & Jonathan Wosen, “Researchers reel as Trump administration moves quickly to cut funding and end DEI health programs,” STAT, Jan 27, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EeNbih
Amy Maxmen, “The growing inequality of life expectancy among Americans,” KFF Health News/ABC News, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gg8LQO
Stephanie Armour & David Hilzenrath, “Junk food turns public villain as power shifts in Washington,” KFF Health News, Jan 20, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hyi5An
KLG/Yves Smith, “Make America Healthy Again: Is MAHA a trope or a movement?” Naked Capitalism, Jan 15, 2025 https://bit.ly/40PsfqI
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., “RFK Jr’s No. 1 hurdle to take on unhealthy food: Money,” NBC News, Nov 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X0i80f
Judy George, “HHS inspector general raises concerns over FDA’s accelerated approvals,” MedPage Today, Jan 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hc8uzw
Sharon Lerner, “Donald Trump’s No. 2 pick for the EPA represented companies accused of pollution harm,” ProPublica, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/4h8zBeI
Hiroko Tabuchi, “Two industry executives join EPA to help oversee chemical rules,” New York Times, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hyeLVV
Matt Taibbi, “What’s the right way to cover the Trump presidency?” Racket News, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gkiaXB
Bob Herman, “Warren wants close FTC scrutiny of drug distributors buying cancer medical groups,” STAT, Oct 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/40PVEkN
Jennifer Henderson, “FTC settles with private equity firm over anesthesia investments,” MedPage Today, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gfOWJ9
Nina Matthews, “Small businesses want low health care costs, but Big Pharma proposals do opposite,” The Tennessean, Oct 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/4axISdN
Ellen Gabler, “How a company makes millions off a hospital program meant to help the poor,” New York Times, Jan 15, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hz8ERf
Fight over Allen Pavilion in New York City <https://bit.ly/4jxYGBk>
ProPublica nonprofit database https://bit.ly/4aC8rKG >
Miranda Yaver, “‘Rationing by inconvenience’: Health insurers count on customers not appealing denials,” STAT, Jan 23, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hdNBUx
Casey Ross, “AI versus AI: The emerging arms race over health insurance denials,” STAT, Dec 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Eo7Wb3
Bob Mercer, “House wants voters to vote on Medicaid a third time,” Capitol News Bureau/KELO, Jan 22, 2025 https://bit.ly/42wuH6H
Kyle Pfannenstiel, “Idaho House committee introduces Medicaid expansion repeal bill,” Idaho Capitol Sun, Jan 24, 2025 https://bit.ly/40PIWlR
Shoshana Walter, “Hospitals gave women medications during childbirth, then reported them for using illicit drugs,” Reveal/The Marshall Project, Dec 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/42w77Y0
David Klepper, “The CIA believes COVID most likely originated from a lab but has low confidence in its own finding,” Associated Press, Jan 26, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hbK4Gs
Mansoor Malik, Ravi Chandra & Gary S. Belkin, “The willful and dangerous silence of the U.S. medical establishment on Gaza,” Mondoweiss, Dec 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4az29LQ
Check out the back archive of all my digests at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Or get my full written digest by email by sending me a note tfrasca@yahoo.com
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Although Trump did not mention health in his inaugural address, one of his Executive Orders denounced in general terms the “crushing regulatory burden” and “unnecessary administrative expenses and rent-seeking practices that increase healthcare costs.” https://bit.ly/4gbNE1I
That oddly phrased EO calls all departments and agencies to “deliver emergency price relief [on what?], consistent with applicable law” and for his economic policy team to report to him on progress toward this goal within 30 days. It’s hard to reconcile the anti-regulatory screed peppering Trump’s rhetoric with this edict to rein in “rent-seeking practices” among his golfing buddies. I’m betting on the billionaires, but we shall see.
Here are links to all the articles mentioned:
Sarah Owermohle, John Wilkerson, Rachel Cohrs Zhang & Lizzy Lawrence, “Trump’s initial orders reverse Biden on health care costs, protections from discrimination,” STAT, Jan 20, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gbRM1Z
Phil Galewitz, “Trump’s return puts Medicaid on the chopping block,” KFF Health News/CBS News, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/3PJcr2u
Andrew Demillo, “Arkansas governor wants to revive state’s Medicaid work requirements under Trump administration,” Associated Press, Jan 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/42ov17N
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, “Trump finally finds a populist health care message in Kennedy’s MAHA,” STAT, Jan 20, 2025 https://bit.ly/3WvOr6J
Lev Facher. “‘Tough love’: How RFK Jr.’s views on addiction could bring a new era of U.S. drug policy,” STAT, Dec 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/4aulL3V
Lev Facher, “An NYC nonprofit has reversed 1,700 overdoses since 2021. Under Trump, it faces an uncertain future,” STAT, Jan 17, 2025 https://bit.ly/40sNCgd
Shannon Firth, “Major PBMs inflated drug prices, pocketing $7.3 billion along the way, FTC says,” MedPage Today, Jan 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/40J1yEa and Steve Kopack & Adiel Kaplan, “Top three insurers reaped $7.3 billion through their drug middlemen’s markups, FTC says,” NBC News, Jan 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/42qfYdv
Nathaniel Weixel, “House Republicans launch investigation into CVS Caremark for potential antitrust violations,” The Hill, Dec 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3E7ifAj
Kathleen Birrane, David Kopans & Peter Rice, “New York issues extensive new pharmacy benefit manager regulations,” DLA Piper, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WvLMKe
Nada Hassanein, “Independent pharmacies know their communities. But many are struggling to stay open,” Stateline, Jan 17, 2025 https://bit.ly/4juP9ej
Tom Murphy, “Nearly 30% of U.S. drugstores closed in one decade,” Associated Press, Dec 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3CayvA6
Jared S. Hopkins & Josh Ulick, “Medicare pays wildly different prices for the same drug,” Wall Street Journal, Nov 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PMMXkT
Claudia Irizarry Aponte & Alyssa Katz, “Four things to know from our investigation of the Home Healthcare Workers of America, New York’s fastest-growing union,” The City, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/4g7ob9N
Emily Kopp, “WHO top scientist was ‘collaborator’ of Peter Daszak,” U.S. Right To Know, Jan 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/42ony8w
Steven Phillips, “Trump nominees for health positions should fail the ‘Fauci test.’” STAT, Jan 17, 2025 https://bit.ly/40GEUw6
Lizzy Lawrence & Sarah Todd, “FDA bans red dye No. 3 in foods, decades after additive found to cause cancer in rats,” STAT, Jan 15, 2025 https://bit.ly/3PMjdEM
Kay Tillow, Judy Albert, Claire M. Cohen, Ed Grystar & Ana Malinow, “Improved Medicare for All can heal this sick country,” Common Dreams, Jan 18, 2025 https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/medicare-for-all-2670870808
You can find the entire back archive of my digests at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Get my weekly digest by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
On "Do Not Resuscitate" this week, there's a changed atmosphere in the debate about health insurance, but all the usual scams roll on, and the entire sector continues to merge and consolidate into giant platforms that control everything. Will the incoming Trump team take action or at least allow the antitrust initiatives of recent years proceed? We'll soon find out. Also, what did we learn/not learn from Covid?
Below are links to all the articles cited this week. If you want my written digest by email, write me at tfrasca@yahoo.com
Don Tracy, “Additional security measures taken for J.P. Morgan healthcare conference,” PharmExec.com, Jan 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/42eBDFp
Bob Herman, “Cigna, Centene, Walgreens drop out of J.P. Morgan conference,” STAT, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/3PAjGK4
Bob Herman, “Biden’s top antitrust official calls for breaking up powerful health care companies,” STAT, Jan 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gQaZrd
Tara Bannow, “DOJ seeks interviews with former UnitedHealth Group doctors,” STAT, Jan 12, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jexbwH
Paige Minemyer, “UnitedHealth, Amedisys ask court to dismiss DOJ's challenge to $3.3B merger deal,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hgvf4T
Heather Landi, “Healthcare poised for ‘robust’ M&A activity in 2025,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/3BZ17My
Erica Carbajal, “AWS, General Catalyst partner on healthcare AI tools,” Becker’s Health IT, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/40idlbc
Mario Aguilar, “Transcarent to acquire Accolade for $621 million creating benefits tech giant,” STAT, Jan 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/40fikt3
Heather Landi, “Digital health venture funding hit $10.1B in 2024 as investors focused on earlier-stage dealmaking,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/40vgQw9
Dan Primack, “J&J strikes $14.6 billion deal for Intra-Cellular Therapies,” Axios, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/4ahJQL0
Drew Altman, “The semi-sad state of consumer protection in health care,” KFF Health News, Jan 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/3E6ggMw
Kristina Fiore, “Prospect is another casualty of private equity in healthcare,” MedPage Today, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/3CjfF9J
Sam Nunberg, “Vivek Ramaswamy is a fraud—and always has been,” Newsweek, Sep 1, 2023 https://bit.ly/4fWTi7N
Adam Feuerstein, “Cassava Sciences and its Alzheimer’s drug are done. The damage lingers,” STAT, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gez5Lb
Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Removing a splinter? Treating a wart? If a doctor does, it can be billed as surgery,” KFF Health News/Washington Post, Dec 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Pz060C
Maya Miller & Duaa Eldeib, “Her mental health treatment was helping. That’s why insurance cut off her coverage,” ProPublica, Dec 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/4hgTGzm
Owais Durrani, “I’m an emergency physician. The modern telehealth model should have all of us concerned,” MSNBC, Dec 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/40lceYj
Anastassia Gliadkovskaya, “Unionized doctors and NYC H+H affiliates reach contract deal on day of planned strike,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/4hcQKUf
Helen Branswell, “What Covid tried to teach us—and why it will matter in the next pandemic,” STAT, Jan 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jcj9vn
Samantha Liss, “Indiana state senator moves to scrap hospital monopoly law he helped create,” KFF Health News, Jan 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/3CawlQM
Find the entire archive at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Friday Jan 10, 2025
Friday Jan 10, 2025
A battle is brewing between the MAGA backers of iconoclastic Trump appointees like RFK Jr and the big corporations he and MAGA are targeting, lobbyists for whom are Trump's golfing buddies. Who will win? It will be fun to watch in any case. Also, lots of tragicomic corporation corruption/criminality driving even red-state pols to take notice. I cover most of my weekly digest here, but the full version is available if you email me (see below).
Here are the links for the articles mentioned:
Cheryl Clark, “This year’s Shkreli Awards: Here’s who made the list,” MedPage Today, Jan 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/4fSZOg3
Shannon Firth, “Concerns continues over private equity’s reach into healthcare,” MedPage Today, Jan 2, 2025 https://bit.ly/4h98gbS
Paul Cuno-Booth, “State approves Catholic Medical Center sale to HCA Healthcare,” New Hampshire Public Radio, Jan 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/428FDHv
“Massachusetts lawmakers approve bill to close loopholes in health care market,” Associated Press, Dec 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fTiT1o
Noah Tong, “Aetna sues drugmakers for widespread price-fixing and collusion,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 3, 2025 https://bit.ly/3DIJIIk
Duaa Eldeib & Maya Miller, “Insurers continue to rely on doctors whose judgments have been criticized by courts,” ProPublica, Dec 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/3W3cOZr
Bob Herman, “Aetna lawsuit alleges radiology group of fraudulent billing and abuse of federal arbitration,” STAT, Dec 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/425L6yM
Dr. Owais Durrani, “I’m an emergency physician. The modern telehealth model should have all of us concerned,” MSNBC, Dec 28, 2024
https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-m-emergency-physician-modern-170914829.html
Rebekah Ninan, “Ghost networks and mental healthcare,” Bill of Health, Nov 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4jot4yj
Nathaniel Weixel, “House Republicans launch investigation into CVS Caremark for potential antitrust violations,” The Hill, Dec 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3DOb8wC
Noah Tong, “CMS sunsets Medicare Advantage value-based model, citing billions in costs,” Fierce Healthcare, Dec 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gQEqtf
Paige Minemyer, “CVS officially rolls out CostVantage model for commercial prescriptions,” Fierce Healthcare, Jan 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gLFT3T
Joseph Choi, “Medicare’s new drug price cap kicks in Jan. 1,” The Hill, Dec 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/408Jba7
Michael Erman, “Drugmakers to raise US prices on over 250 medicines starting Jan. 1,” Reuters, Dec 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/4afhlhk
Matt Stoller, “Big Ag vs Make American Healthy Again,” BIG, Jan 5, 2025 https://bit.ly/421W2O7
Shalina Chatlani, “As demand for weight-loss drugs rises, states grapple with Medicaid coverage,” Stateline, Jan 6, 2025 https://bit.ly/4gLKwux
April Baumgarten, “North Dakota becomes 1st state to cover weight loss medication with federally backed health insurance,” InForum, Jan 4, 2025 https://bit.ly/426ON7q
Leah Willingham, “West Virginia patients are left in limbo over changing insurance coverage of obesity medications,” Associated Press, Jan 2, 2025 https://bit.ly/40pLRBv
Nathaniel Weixel, “RFK Jr. vs. Oz sets up clash on weight loss drug coverage,” The Hill, Dec 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4h40XCi
Andrea Love & Katie Suleta, “Will the Trump Administration be a dangerous ally to the wellness industry?” MedPage Today, Jan 3, 2025 https://bit.ly/3PxptQo
Habib Benzian, “The U.S. health care system is broken. It’s time for real reform,” Newsweek, Dec 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3DMfTH7
get my weekly digest by email: tfrasca@yahoo.com
see the full archive at: www.nypan.org/single-payer-links
Wednesday Dec 18, 2024
Wednesday Dec 18, 2024
This one's about how we allow chemical and food (including quasi-food) producers to make us sick while we worry about how to pay for getting well. In “Do Not Resuscitate," I review articles that outline this process and ask, Why not prevent this epidemic of disease at a fraction of the cost? We could even take advantage of the RFK Jr nomination to amplify his critique of our disastrous food supply and captured regulatory apparatus.
Here are links to all the articles mentioned:
Pamela Ferdinand, “Long-term air pollution exposure may worsen the risk of dangerous blood clots in deep veins,” U.S. Right To Know, Dec 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gAiIce and “Exposure to particulate air pollution, even at low levels, can reduce children’s cognitive abilities,” U.S. Right To Know, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/41CglkM
Original study: Blood Journal, American Society of Hematology https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39652776/
Sharon Lerner & Al Shaw, “Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant. Little is being done to curb the risk,” ProPublica, Dec 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ByKxmo
Hannah Norman, “Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ taint rural California drinking water, far from known sources,” KFF Health News/San Francisco Chronicle, Dec 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZFBjg9
Pamela Ferdinand, “Prenatal PFAS exposure may be linked to childhood obesity,” U.S. Right To Know, Oct 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZFX3Zb
Tom Perkins, “WHO to scrap weak PFAS drinking water guidelines after alleged corruption,” The Guardian [U.K.], Aug 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/49XuYlb
Natalie Huet, “Research into falling sperm counts finds ‘alarming’ levels of chemicals in male urine samples,” Euronews, Oct 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VFGrzE
Marthe de Ferrer, “Penises are shrinking because of pollution, warns environmental scientist,” Euronews, Mar 11, 2021 https://bit.ly/3ZEwpjt
Jingna Cui et al., “Organophosphate insecticide malathion induces Alzheimer’s disease-like cognitive impairment in mice,” ACS Publications [American Chemical Society], Nov 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gj3hFz
Anjana Ahuja, “Rising rates of cancer in young people prompts hunt for environmental culprit,” Financial Times, Aug 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gDnlSL
Karen A Evans-Reeves, et al., “Intimidation against advocates and researchers in the tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food spaces: a review,” Health Promotion International, Dec 2024 https://bit.ly/3VH5EKf
“Poison PR,” Lighthouse Reports, Sep 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3BmK5rt
Evy Lewis, “Syngenta spent decades attempting to quiet health concerns about its profitable herbicide,” Investigate Midwest, Oct 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gB2pMi
Sharon Lerner, “EPA scientists say they were pressured to downplay health harms from chemicals,” ProPublica, Sep 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/4glGg54
Nils Adler, “‘Death sentence’: Asbestos released by Israel’s bombs will kill for decades,” Al Jazeera, Oct 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/49FpJ9m
Mansoor Malik, Ravi Chandra & Gary S. Belkin, “The willful and dangerous silence of the U.S. medical establishment on Gaza,” Mondoweiss, Dec 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gCBP5A
Nicola Guess, “Why ultraprocessed foods aren’t always bad,” New York Times, Dec. 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/49KUdGX
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The entire back archive is housed at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Let’s face it: a lot of people cheered the assassination of a health insurance executive. But people love their commercial health insurance, right? That’s why Medicare for All could never get anywhere in America—or so we were constantly told.
Maybe the paradox has an explanation: people are generally healthy and don’t use their coverage most of the time. But then something serious happens, and that’s when the corporate suits come down on them like, well, like Luigi with a silencer. Mystery solved—health insurance works really well as long as you don’t cost them big money. When you’re in a coma, the punishment begins.
P.S. Brian Thompson was NOT a “healthcare professional.” He was an accountant who installed financial management maneuvers that “increased shareholder value.”
Here are links to all the articles mentioned this week:
Glenn Greenwald’s horror story of how UH canceled his comatose husband’s coverage after one month of a nine-month hospitalization. https://bit.ly/3OQHWXR
Branko Marcetic, “Americans hate their private health insurance,” Jacobin, Dec 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3OTYu1s
Bruce Gil, “A leaked video of UnitedHealth CEO defending denial practices sparks more online backlash,” Quartz, Dec 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/4f9mHLK
“Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia,” Associated Press, Dec 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/49FjzGs
David Millward, “Inside the shady world of health insurers—and the 1.2 seconds it takes them to deny claims,” The Telegraph, Dec 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ORF65e
Jeffrey St. Clair, “Delay and deny, deny, deny,” CounterPunch, Dec 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gaUhlY
Rob Urie, “Politics by other means, insurance industry edition: Ready, aim, deny,” Journal of Belligerent Provocation, Dec 9, 2024 https://roburie.substack.com/p/politics-by-other-means-insurance
Lauren Irwin, “Majority of Americans say health care is government responsibility: Gallup,” The Hill, Dec 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VXbZ4r
Usha Lee McFarling, “Spending less, living longer: What the U.S. can learn from Portugal’s innovative health system,” STAT, Dec 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/4gb4n68
Todd Shryock, “Business group sounds the alarm on historic surge in health care costs for 2025,” Medical Economics, Dec 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ixzScg
Natalie Dunlap, Ben Kieffer & Danielle Gehr, “Iowa’s troubling physician shortage is expected to get worse. Doctors are advocating for solutions,” Iowa Public Radio, Dec 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/4iz2i5U
Madeline Ashley, “Feds seize phones of former Steward CEO, top exec,” Becker’s Hospital Review, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3BqmwOe
Brett Kelman, “Six years into an Appalachia hospital monopoly, patients are fearful and furious,” KFF Health News/States Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/49xd2NO
Kelsey Denham, “My son has a brain malformation. We shouldn’t need to be insurance experts for his care,” USA Today, Nov 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/3DeZtqs
Elliott S. Fisher, “Insurance companies like United Healthcare are not the only ones to blame for a broken system,” STAT, Dec 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3BeXlhL
Matt Stoller, “Trump lays out his antitrust agenda,” BIG, Dec 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/49AaRco
Joyce Frieden, “FDA panned at Senate hearing for failure to address diabetes, obesity epidemics,” MedPage Today, Dec 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fb2Pb3
Karen Kaplan, “How the FDA allows companies to add secret ingredients to our food,” Los Angeles Times, Dec 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZxLTFP
Pamela Ferdinand, “Carrageenan may damage gut lining, promote inflammation and type 2 diabetes risk,” U.S. Right To Know, Dec 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZosaIM
Katelyn Fossett, “Michael Pollan is not endorsing RFK Jr.,” Politico, Nov 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/4flJXq8
Ed Silverman, “U.S. Patent Office pulls controversial rule to curb pharma patent abuse,” STAT, Dec. 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3OROzt9
“Study reveals lasting effects of common herbicide on brain health,” Eureka Alert/Arizona State University, Dec 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZPfBHK
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The archive of all back issues is housed at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Is Trump about to destroy public health? Or are his nominees crusaders against corporate corruption and greed? On “Do Not Resuscitate” color us skeptical but open-minded. We spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich, and those guys play golf with Trump. OTOH, his base is up in arms. Sounds like showtime! I started the week with a nasty bout of Covid, so this week’s podcast is hoarsely voiced, but I couldn’t resist.
As always, here are the links to each article mentioned:
Stephanie Armour, “Make America Health Again: An unconventional movement that may have found its moment,” KFF Health News, Nov 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/4f44Vtn
Vishal Khetpal, “RFK Jr. and MAHA should champion a Marshall Plan for obesity,” STAT, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3D3nbpu
Eric Boodman & Isabella Cueto, “In the MAHA-verse, ex-Bernie die-hards and conservative moms find a political home,” STAT, Nov 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fYwVjr
Yves Smith, “RFK, Jr plans attack on AMA’s big meal ticket, licensing fees for medical billing codes,” Naked Capitalism, Nov 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3DchTYA
Heather Landi, “How Republican ‘red wave’ in Washington could shake up healthcare, pharma policy,” Fierce Healthcare, Dec 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3OFkGMu
Lee Fang, “Inside the junk food lobby’s plans to derail RFK’s agenda,” Real Clear Investigations, Nov 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4is7hVV
Heather Lanthorn, Kenneth H. Rabin & Scott C. Ratzan, “What ‘Make America Great Again’ gets right about communication,” MedPage Today, Nov 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/4g5s5kw
Rebecca Falconer, “Kraft Heinz pulls Lunchables from school meals program,” Axios, Nov 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3CZoWnz
Emily Anthes & Emily Baumgaertner, “Trump’s choices for health agencies suggest a shake-up is coming,” New York Times, Nov 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3BiAaDe
Joanne Haner, “Biden COVID response coordinator: Trump picks for FDA, NIH ‘pretty reasonable,’” The Hill, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3BdtG8A
Lauren Gardner & David Lim, “Trump to nominate Marty Makary to lead FDA,” Politico, Nov 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZnSPpd
Kristina Fiore, “Trump’s FDA pick is MedPage Today’s former top editor,” MedPage Today, Nov 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ijlrs9
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, “Seven criticisms of FDA Covid policies offer hints about Makary’s priorities,” STAT, Nov 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZmxVqf
Megan Messerly, “Trump picks former Florida Rep. Weldon to lead CDC,” Politico, Nov 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3DcjSfu
Kierra Frazier and Daniel Payne, “Trump chooses Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for surgeon general,” Politico, Nov 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/3B66sBl
Andrea Park, “A possible ban on DTC pharma ads poses ‘biggest threat’ of RFK Jr.’s HHS appointment,” Fierce Healthcare, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/49mGmGE
Daniel Gilbert, “Vivek Ramaswamy’s push for FDA changes could boost his wealth,” Washington Post, Nov 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/4g1DUb4
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The complete set of my commentaries going back 7 years is archived at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news