“[L]egendary Silicon Valley investor and Sun Microsystems founder Vinod Khosla said on Wednesday that he believes ‘any radiologist who plans to practice in 10 years will be killing patients every day,’ because machine-powered solutions will have advanced to such a point that they’ll be far more effective than professional human practitioners.” | learn more
Why some CEOs support ‘Medicare for All’
The crux of this is something I’ve been talking about for a while: why in the world is your employer involved in your healthcare? “While national business groups fight the single-payer concept, the founder and CEO of a large Pennsylvania picture frame manufacturer tries to convince other employers that it’s the only way to control costs and fix the U.S. health system.” | learn more
When a health insurer also wants to be a hospice company
“Humana is teaming up with two investment firms to become the nation’s largest provider of hospice care, dominating a rapidly growing — and controversial — business.” | learn more
The surprising health benefits of meth
For those keeping track, these common recreational drugs are all finding useful clinical applications: ketamine, psilocybin, and now meth. “In low, pharmaceutical-grade doses, methamphetamine may actually repair and protect the brain in certain circumstances. But stigma against the drug could be harming patients and holding back research.” | learn more
Insurers find ways to deny mental health care
This came as a surprise to me – I actually believed that insurance coverage for mental health was generally good until reading this. “The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a landmark law passed more than a decade ago, requires insurers to provide comparable coverage for mental health and medical treatments. Even so, insurers are denying claims, limiting coverage, and finding other ways to avoid complying with the law.” | learn more
Is dentistry a science?
The Atlantic pulls no punches in this analysis of the dental industry. The anecdotal story woven throughout the article should make you rethink how infrequently you ask for a 2nd opinion before giving consent for root canals and other procedures. “It’s much less scientific—and more prone to gratuitous procedures—than you may think.” | learn more
FBI raids uBiome’s office and co-CEOs placed on leave
The startup that helps test the microbes in your poop is in trouble. There are a couple echoes of the Theranos scandal: two execs in a secret relationship and employee allegations of cutting corners. Oh, and the founder Jessica Richman seems to have misremembered her age a few times to become eligible for “under 30” and “under 40” awards. | learn more
Cut your healthcare bill by paying cash
This doesn’t surprise me, and shouldn’t surprise you anymore. But it is an interesting article from the WSJ. “Hospitals and other providers increasingly are offering prices far below what they charge though insurance.” | learn more
When an industry consolidates, what happens to wages?
Kellogg Professor Elena Prager did the research. “A surprisingly consistent answer has emerged in one sector: healthcare.” | learn more
How much does private insurance pay vs Medicare?
In the 90s there was near parity. Now, some states (looking at you, Indiana) average 3x the spend for the same services. That is passed down to employees via premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. Enjoy! “Findings released Thursday by the Rand Corp. highlight how reimbursement rates vary nationally and the impact the charges have on the nation’s high cost of health care.” | learn more