Cancer Treatment Advance? Jack Urquhart Its not that I oppose medical advances–far from it. I am just not a fan of the current drug approval process. The drug industry, the FDA and the healthcare community in general are overly influenced by hype and the chase for the...
Medical
Congress to Spend Billions on Medical Research
Congress to Spend Billions on Medical Research By Jack Urquhart September 30, 2016 Republican leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell say Congress’ top priority after returning from electioneering will be pouring billions into “medical research.” Nonsense. This...
Is any “federal budget” proposal realistic without a specific plan to reduce the growth rate of healthcare costs?
Is any “federal budget” proposal realistic without a specific plan to reduce the growth rate of healthcare costs? Both House and Senate leaders have revealed their federal “budgets.” No one expected much agreement between the two and there was not. No one expected...
Lawsuits Challenging Obamacare Roll On as Uncertainty Mounts
Lawsuits Challenging Obamacare Roll On as Uncertainty Mounts Obamacare’s “meat and potatoes” is the January 1, 2014 implementation of (1) Medicaid Expansion and (2) insurance coverage through Health Insurance Exchanges. These programs would dramatically increase the...
The Federal Government Must Run Obamacare Health Insurance Exchanges in Most States: Is this Realistic?
The Federal Government Must Run Obamacare Health Insurance Exchanges in Most States: Is this Realistic? The central objective of the 2010 Obamacare health reform act is reducing the number of uninsured by January 1, 2014; an objective it planned to achieve with 1)...
A recent United States Supreme Court decision heightens concern about the ability of federal agencies to manage healthcare
I confess support for much within Obamacare. The Act, for instance, acknowledges undeniable failures in our healthcare system and enacts programs that aspire to achieve needed reform. But increased federalization of American healthcare poses legitimate concerns. Can...
Can the federal government manage American healthcare?
The American Hospital Association is obviously fed up with the apparently whimsical denials of Medicare hospital reimbursements. It is aggressively pursuing a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services that challenges the federal government’s...
The Breathtaking Power of Medicare Contractors
The Breathtaking Power of Medicare Contractors ©Jack Edward Urquhart The power wielded by private Medicare Contractors is breathtaking. But this secret is well hidden within the dense web of laws, regulations, guidelines, policies and practices that is our federal...
Warning: FDA Whistleblower Idolatry is Associated with Adverse Reactions
“Whistle-blowers” are invaluable and their right to speak requires zealous protection. But too often the whistle-blower is deified before he or she is vetted. Reactive idolatry of FDA whistle-blowers is hazardous. The anointing of Dr. Robert Smith, an FDA...
Should Texas Accept or Reject the Medicaid Expansion? Part One
The Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) expands Medicaid to all persons under age 65 with individual incomes of about $14,500 or less. Rejecting this ACA expansion would cost Texas about $52.5 billion in federal funds and leave 1.4 million low-income Texans without any...