News

OK, I admit it: we made a mistake. Earlier this year, we were asked if we had ever seen a one-page flow chart of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from a consumer perspective. We hadn’t seen one—and after much looking, still didn’t—so we decided to create one ourselves. It seemed like such a simple idea. Hmmm—not so simple in the …

As we continue to focus on health care spending, it is important to look at the tools we’ve tried already and learn from our experience – especially our mistakes. In health care, it seems that every action taken to reduce spending leads to an equal and opposite reaction elsewhere in the system. This issue has been well illustrated by the …

Last spring when my colleagues and I were teaching a class on health insurance in America at the U-M Ford School of Public Policy, we asked our students to write their final papers on what they would change about the Affordable Care Act. Three of our earnest and committed students took on the task of trying to make the Community …

Many Americans have an almost visceral reaction against what is sometimes called “socialized medicine.” Socialized medicine is often discussed in the context of the British Health Service – where the government is both the payer and the employer of those delivering care. But the irony is, we have a superb example of a very similar approach here in America: the U.S. Department …

While there has been considerable attention of late focused on the Affordable Care Act and the courts, many states, health care providers, and employers are continuing to move forward on the assumption that the Affordable Care Act will stay in effect—at least in its broadest dimensions. While a Supreme Court decision is now expected by the end of the 2012 …

Many of those working to improve health care in America have advocated for the use of electronic prescribing as an important tool for improving patient safety and moderating health care cost trends. A recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) documents abuses in the Medicare drug benefit that underline the potential value of electronic prescribing tools. According to the …

It is difficult to find an issue that is more politically contentious than health care; particularly the policy changes and programs that are needed to assure that Americans have access to needed care.  The liberal position tends to see health care as a right, and seeks a strong centralized public role in assuring that all Americans have access to the …

In early August, when the debt ceiling agreement was reached, many news reports noted the agreement did nothing to address core reasons for the debt, namely: Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Indeed, nearly every article written about the debt ceiling talked about the need to “deal with” (aka: cut) Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. But every time there is a …

When I was in graduate school and early in my career, hospices were viewed as one of the most altruistic components of the health care system. With a philosophy of caring holistically for those at the end of life by controlling symptoms, supporting families, and providing a “good” death (preferably at home), hospices seemed to represent the vision of compassion …