I have long encouraged people to avoid going to hospitals if they can help it. Just last year, I wrote a column for Risk & Insurance on this very topic. But the message bears repeating, because the numbers are staggering. An estimated 440,000 people die each year in the hospital – and not from the
That is correct. The other side of the coin is that someone else has to be wrong. Probably the most common and damaging threat to a healthy relationship is the need to be right. This represents the Ego, one of the three “Evil E’s”– Ego, Envy, and Entitlement – that I’ve written about previously. When
Of the 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charges, 20 operate in Florida (40%) and half are owned by a single, for-profit hospital system, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs. A few interesting facts: • The top 50 highest charging hospitals have average charges at 10 times what Medicare allows. • The average
A recent study by Harvard has shown that daughters of mothers who work outside the home have very distinct career advantages later in life. In addition, their adult sons are more involved in household responsibilities and spend more time caring for family members. There was a very large sample size, and the findings appear to
Recently, we were researching the likely impact of an MPN (Medical Provider Network) implementation for a client in California. The data can vary dramatically depending upon the client and region of the state. The California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) issued a Research Report in early June regarding the impact of physician networks in California Workers’ Comp.
One of the main selling points of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the contention that it would reduce the number of people going to the emergency room (ER) for non-emergency services. When a patient does not have health insurance, these costs are often subsidized by taxpayers. And even when there is insurance coverage, an
I just started ANOTHER weight loss regimen. It is tough for me. My lifestyle is inconsistent. I eat out and entertain A LOT. Last week, I had dinners planned for six nights in a row, not to mention business lunches. It takes a toll on the body. Still, I go up and down, and I
