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The Cost of New Cancer Drugs (In One Picture)
“Specialty drugs” – that’s what they’re called. Not the pills of old, these pharmaceuticals are often given intravenously or through injection. Often more biologic in their synthesis than chemical, they are expensive to produce and often target narrow disease processes, meaning the number of patients likely to benefit from them is much much smaller than,…
Goodbye Crop Diversity
Here’s a picture from National Geographic showing a stunning decline in the genetic diversity of crops: This is dangerous – diversity is key to avoiding crop failures from disease and pestilence.
Mindfulness Makes Some People Selfish—See If You Are One Of Them
Will a fiercely independent person like me become less generous if I practice mindfulness? Will all that focus on self and present drawing me away from other people’s concerns?
Insured But Not Covered
Under the Affordable Care Act, the percent of Americans who lack any health insurance has declined significantly. Put another way – more Americans have health insurance than ever. But having insurance coverage is different than being well covered by insurance. Sometimes a person can enroll in a health insurance plan, and still face the kind of out-of-pocket…
The High Price of Free Lunch
Once again: correlation does not equal causation. And it is possible that companies give lunches to physicians who are already inclined to prescribe their products, or who are already high prescribers. But why should we leave any of this up to doubt?!? Physicians should not accept gifts from drug companies.
Don't Be Afraid to Team Up with Your Doctor about Healthcare Costs
Here is a fine story in the Los Angeles Times written by Lisa Zamosky about the importance of talking with your doctor about your out of pocket medical costs. Despite high medical costs topping Americans’ list of financial concerns, many of us have a hard time telling our doctors that the care they’re prescribing may…