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Only Proven Treatment for Obesity
ByadminI blog frequently about obesity. I think the most important thing we can do, as a nation, to combat obesity is to try to prevent our next generation of children from becoming obese. Once people become obese, almost no diet in the world will consistently help them lose weight and maintain that weight loss. But…
How Hospitals Turn Charity Care Into Profits — At Taxpayers' Expense
ByadminSometimes it is hard for hospitals to provide expensive care to poor patients. When a low-income patient needs $20,000 of chemotherapy, a hospital loses money if that patient cannot pay for the medicine, or pays through Medicaid, with its relatively stingy reimbursement. Fortunately, the federal government created a program for hospitals that care for a…
Influencing Young Minds
ByadminI really like teaching Duke undergraduates. They are an ambitious and intelligent group. But sometimes their ambition and intelligence get in the way of creative thinking, especially in regards to careers. They all want to remain high achievers, so they know they must either become doctors, lawyers, investment bankers or business consultants. Not infrequently I…
Obesity Really DOES Kill
ByadminThere has been controversy recently about whether obesity is truly bad for people’s health, or in fact whether it might even protect people from early mortality. A study from the New England Journal in January provides strong evidence that obesity kills. It shows that people with very low body mass index have high mortality rates,…
It Pays to Pay Well for Medicaid
ByadminThis study came out a while ago, from ICYMI. The research team called up primary care practices and tried to make appointments for Medicaid patients. When states raised reimbursement rates, it became easier: Health insurance doesn’t do much good when patients can’t find doctors willing to accept crappy reimbursement.
A Clever Way to Nudge People to Ride Bicycles
ByadminA recent story on the Atlantic website described a clever way to demonstrate the benefits of bicycling in congested cities. It involves an app that quickly shows people how long it will take to get somewhere by bicycle versus car. And with the crowded cities, bicycles more than hold their own, as this picture shows: And…

