guest opinions

Author Believes Clinically Aware Benefit Plans Are Advantageous

OPINION -- February 22, 2012 -- Even before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was written, coverage designed to avoid sick patients was becoming an unacceptable goal. A goal that most commercial benefit plans and claim processing systems use, assuming predominantly healthy populations, and preventing those that need the coverage the most from being adequately addressed. Read More >>

Microsoft's Virtual Gold Mine: Health and Education Data

OPINION -- February 17, 2012 -- If we open Microsoft’s Health Vault, we’ll open Pandora’s box to cyber harms that cannot be undone. Microsoft, Google and Facebook seem to think data sharing makes them our blood brothers. That shouldn’t give them the right to torment us with personalized advertising and other threats as our new Big Brothers. Read More >>

Constitutionality of Patenting Gene Sequencing Reaches Supreme Court

Its decision could affect whether private companies can charge inflated prices for tests such as the BRCA gene for breast cancer
OPINION -- February 2, 2012 -- The Supreme Court is going to rule on the case of whether it is constitutional for biotech companies to be able to patent gene sequences. This will be a landmark patent case, since currently about 20 percent of the human genome is patented for various diseases. Read More >>

Why are Washington's Nonprofit Health Insurers Sitting on Huge Surpluses?

Guest columnist Mike Kreidler, Washington's insurance commissioner, argues the Legislature should give him the authority to consider insurance companies' surpluses, among them Regence BlueShield, when deciding whether to approve insurance rates
OPINION – January 18, 2012 – Washington has reached a bleak milestone: The state is now home to more than 1 million people who have no health insurance. Read More >>

Healthcare Remains the 2012 Election Riddle

Healthcare costs are the primary driver of the federal budget deficit. Congressional Budget Office projections for 2020 show that healthcare spending will consume more than 27 percent of federal budget.
OPINION: January 9, 2012 -- This election ought to be about one issue, a referendum on health care reform. Read More >>

Public Health Will Benefit from New EPA Rules on Restricting Mercury

At the same time, we’re getting very close to the point of no return on climate change and global warming
OPINION:  January 5, 2012 – The EPA took a long-overdue action that Grist’s Dave Roberts compared to “an advance on par with getting lead out of gasoline” on December 21. The new EPA rules restrict mercury, one of the deadliest by-products of burning coal for electricity. Read More >>

The Joys of Father Care

After being charged close to $6,000 for two nights after his daughter is born, OHSU offers the author a 15% discount, just because he called for an explanation
December 16, 2011 -- I'll never forget it. That special moment when you, your wife and your brand new bundle of joy get home for the very first time and start opening medical bills. Much has been written about what parents should expect from pregnancy to birth but relatively little is available on the subject of how much it will cost.
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Tell Ron Wyden to Say No to the Privatization of Medicare

OPINION December 16, 2011 -- Last time we checked, Senator Ron Wyden was elected to represent the tate of Oregon. Now that he's forged a dangerous Medicare compromise with the leader of the Tea Party caucus, we're not sure he remembers what state he represents. Read More >>

Federal Trade Commission Goes 1-1 in Hospital Court Battle

December 15, 2011 – It may not jibe with the health reform law's message of integration, but the Federal Trade Commission continues to challenge provider mergers on grounds that they're anticompetitive.   Read More >>

We’re Very Close to the Finish Line

The Lund Report needs to raise another $2,500 to meet the $10,000 challenge grant from Northwest Health Foundation
November 30, 2011 -- The generosity of our readers to the challenge grant offered by Northwest Health Foundation has been overwhelming. People from across Oregon and Washington have sent us contributions, and, for that, I am extremely thankful. Read More >>
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