The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission is an organization that my peers at the Health Wonk Review can get excited about But the public should too. In health care, smaller cost increases are considered a victory. All of the testimony from hospitals and other healthcare players for an October 3/4 hearing on cost trends is already posted … Continue reading All eyes should be on #Massachusetts (again) as the state moves beyond expanding coverage to tackling #health #costs.
Should hospitals be gun-free zones? Another shooting -- this one at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire -- is a reminder that they are not. Some think they should be. That can be difficult given the quasi-public nature of hospitals. Others disagree, saying that there should be no-gun free zones. Earlier this summer, the Brooklyn … Continue reading Should #guns be allowed in #hospitals? Is there any way to keep them out?
From The Boston Globe: “There is something fundamentally wrong when one of the richest and most powerful countries on the planet can’t make sure that a person can afford to see a doctor when they’re sick. This isn’t any way to live,” Warren wrote, asking her backers to sign a petition expressing their support for … Continue reading Sen. Elizabeth Warren is backing the single-payer insurance proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Does it have a chance?
Your correspondent spent much of the '90s covering health care in North Carolina. Found this while visiting family. See story below from Kaiser Health News. Probably won't find it next visit. How the cuts will play our in Massachusetts is an unknown at this point. In the meantime, hospitals in Boston reported surpluses yesterday. Trump … Continue reading Can the states step in if the feds cut marketing $$$ for Affordable Care Act?
Nice post from WBUR's Commonhealth on how college students help keep each other straight. As a college student, I often feel surrounded by people who are stressed and struggling with their mental health. I’ve seen and helped with multiple breakdowns and crises when on-campus counseling services were not available, not sure how much I can … Continue reading WBUR: Help for stressed out college students
A Twitter list of 60+ key feeds to help you keep up with the health care debate here and in DC. The two are linked in that the MA program was a model for the ACA. Also, there's an effort ongoing to track and control the costs of care at hospitals. More on that here. … Continue reading How to keep up with the health reform debate in MA and DC: A Twitter list
The Maine Senator has played a key role in the debate over the ACA repeal. A short piece from the Vox "Defector of the Day" series looking at Republican senator who seems undecided or opposed to the Better Care Reconciliation Act The four-term senator is probably the most moderate member in the chamber. She has expressed … Continue reading Vox: “This is what Susan Collins heard about health care while she was home”
