New medical bankruptcy study: Two-thirds of filers cite illness and medical bills as contributors to financial ruin

Researchers found no evidence that the ACA reduced the proportion of bankruptcies driven by medical problems; insurance offered little protection to middle-class Americans. By David U. Himmelstein, M.D, Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H and Clare Fauke for PNHP Medical problems contributed to 66.5% of all bankruptcies, a figure that is virtually unchanged since before the passage […]

Medicare for All fills a room

Attendance thrills backers of single-payer health system By Ashley Sloboda for The Journal Gazette Rachel Rose Reagan didn’t know if anybody in Fort Wayne would attend an event aimed to mobilize supporters of a government-run, single-payer health insurance system. She seemed awed Sunday as she addressed a crowded conference room at the downtown Allen County […]

Eighty-seven million adults are inadequately insured

Health Insurance Coverage Eight Years After the ACA By Sara R. Collins, Herman K. Bhupal, and Michelle M. Doty for The Commonwealth Fund The greatest deterioration in the quality and comprehensiveness of coverage has occurred among people in employer plans. More than half of Americans under age 65 — about 158 million people — get […]

Open Letter to Congresswoman Jayapal Regarding Medicare for All

In Commondreams. Photo: Rep. Pramila Jayapal introducing the new Medicare for All Caucus during a Capitol Hill press conference in July of 2018. (Photo: Rep. Pramila Jayapal/Twitter) Dear Congresswoman Jayapal, Thank you for your hard work and leadership as the new lead sponsor of the forthcoming Medicare for All Act of 2019. As health care […]

A Public Option Isn’t Good Enough

By Libby Watson for Splinter News There is one thing we can be thankful for: Medicare for All is now a mainstream position in the Democratic Party, to the point where most of the leading Democratic candidates for president say they support it. The question remains how real their commitment to that goal is, and […]

As Drug Prices Rise, Is Boston’s Prosperity Based On A Moral Crime?

By Dr. Vikas Saini for WUBR Prescription drug prices have become a high-profile issue, with a growing clamor from politicians, including Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, seeking to take action. There are many laudable elements in Baker’s proposal to negotiate prices directly with drug makers, despite its narrow focus, but such efforts are doomed to become […]

Report: Eastern Washington residents have higher mortality

HOPE NOTE: Access to healthcare facilities has a great impact on health outcomes. Under a national improved Medicare for All healthcare system, all hospitals would receive a check for running the hospital and wouldn’t have to worry about having the finances to stay open. By Nicholas K. Geranios for Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — […]