I guess it’s pretty egotistical, but one of the links I’m giving you today is mine.
It’s is a quick read, but really useful; a guest post I did for Catch Your Limit Consulting, a strategic management and marketing firm, called Hate The Plan, Love The Planning. Let me know what you think.
The second one is an article you’ll probably be hearing a lot about. No matter what you think of the content, the question is whether John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, should have stepped into the political wasp nest of healthcare. After you read the article, be sure to …read more

I’ve written a number of posts abut the lack of leadership in healthcare and the resulting problems with links to useful articles. I’ve even managed to discuss them relatively calmly and sans four-letter words—or at least edited them out. (My focus isn’t surprising, since I’m one of the 47 million uninsured.)Three new articles prompt today’s post.
The first was an article, including multiple links to additional information, at Health Care Renewal by Roy M Poses MD. It shines a light on just how little unethical and/or illegal actions impact a career these days.
On September 10th, according to Bloomberg, “UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s …read more

Awhile back I wrote several posts (rants?) on healthcare problems and some of the really terrible things that make my blood boil.
Over the last couple of weeks several new article caught my eye and I wanted to bring them to your attention.
1. Following up a February post on doctors and medical researchers extensive conflicts of interest resulting from pharma industry funding and gifts.
Amazingly enough, two industry giants, Pfizer and Zimmer, which manufactures hip, knee, and elbow implants, are concerned about a potential conflict—although not about funding or gifts. This one is about ongoing physician education, often funded by industry players.
“At …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: dimshikSorry, I forgot to mention this in the previous post.
I’ve recorded a lot of shows over the years and when I want some company for what I’m doing I pop one in my VCR.
I was watching one recently and realized that there wasn’t even one drug commercial during the entire two hours. It was great.
These days, drug companies spend more than $6 billion a year on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising.
I prefer the thrilling days of yesteryear when there was a ban on DTC drug ads, but alas, Congress ditched it.
However, DTC is a real …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: arte_ram
As most of you know I’ve been writing a series on healthcare, linking to articles detailing the actions of doctors/healthcare professionals, insurance companies and financial institutions. What’s ahppening as opposed to political retoric of what should happen.
But last night I got to thinking.
The stuff the artilces describe isn’t new, it’s been going on for years. Sure, some are new wrinkles, but in general it’s all been around for quite a while.
Why suddenly all these articles? Why is the light being shown and the rocks turned over? What’s different?
Because it’s an election year? Unlikely, …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: Xurble
If it’s not doctors ripping off Medicare it’s disability insurers jacking up Social Security’s overhead in the name of increasing their profits.
According to the New York Times, “The Social Security system is choking on paperwork and spending millions of dollars a year screening dubious applications for disability benefits, according to lawsuits filed by whistle-blowers…The insurers are forcing many people who file disability claims with them to also apply to Social Security — even people who clearly do not qualify for the government program.”
The insurance companies use the simplest, tried-and-true approach around to ‘force’ …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: Jean Scheijen
Over at Yielding Wealth, Miranda wondered why “universal healthcare” is such a bogyman considering that “Our education system, police force, and even our mail system is socialized…And, of course, one can’t forget socialized capitalism…Society (via taxpayers) provides subsidies for all sorts of companies — profitable Big Oil and Big Ag concerns come immediately to mind. Some would argue that the Federal Reserve itself is something of a socialist institution…” and, of course, the almost done deal of Bear Sterns/JP Morgan/Federal Reserve with us taxpayers holding the bag.
Actually, I think that Miranda hit on …read more

Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: markhillary
(Part of an ongoing series)
Those Americans fortunate enough to have medical insurance have long known (if they gave it any thought) that their sensitive medical records are frequently sent overseas for processing right along with most other forms of insurance processing.
Now their bodies are following—paid for by their own health insurance.
“David Boucher, 49, doesn’t fit the usual profile for such medical tourists. An assistant vice-president of health-care services at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of South Carolina, he has ample health benefits. But Boucher recently chose to have a colonoscopy at Bumrungrad International …read more

Healthcare providers’ attitudes towards money often make my blood boil. It’s not just insurance and drug companies and hospitals, but the financial institutions that buy the debt of the un/under insured and then charge exorbitant interest rates on it.
Of course, it’s all excused in the name of capitalism and keeping investors happy, while their advertising presents them as caring, do-the-right-thing organizations wrapped in concern for the well-being of their customers.
Obviously it’s the former that ratifies their practice of charging for errors.
Hopefully it’s starting to change. “Since last fall, hospitals in 11 states have agreed to waive fees for certain rare …read more

If you haven’t heard it already, here’s a story guaranteed to make you think at least twice before opting for any kind of avoidable surgery or hospital stay.
“…hospital-acquired infections that kill nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to federal estimates.”
That’s a very large number, especially when the top culprits are, “Doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers too busy, too distracted — or, sometimes, too arrogant — to wash [their hands].”
Can you even remember at what age your mom started the “wash your hands” ritual? Not to mention all the germ-killing products ads we’re inundated with daily.
How …read more