Forbes Magazine this month includes an exhaustive and question-inducing series of articles about hospitals and their ability to best take care of the patients who trust them. And the picture isn’t pretty. Even the titles make us pay attention: Bad Medicine Dirty Tricks Hospitals’ Nightmare And the subtitle under Bad Medicine is — The heart […]
Forbes: Patients Lose Thru Lack of Hospital Competition Read More »
(Find a follow up to this post, Lessons Learned) What you are about to read is my own personal experience, having taken place over the past 10 days with a psychiatrist from Naples, Florida who works in addiction psychiatry through his “Healing Institute.” Many of you regular readers know that my blog used to be
When the Psychiatrist is a Bully Read More »
Put yourself in Patsy Bates’ shoes. She is a hairdresser who had health insurance coverage with Health Net, a large insurer in California. In 2004, Patsy was diagnosed with breast cancer, and part way through her chemotherapy treatments, Health Net decided to cancel her insurance. At the point where she owed almost $130 thousand for
Health Net Pays $9 Million for Canceling Patient’s Policy Read More »
Questions began circulating about the Pfizer TV and magazine commercials for Lipitor earlier this month. You’ve seen them — Robert Jarvik, the supposed “inventor of the artificial heart” touts his use of Lipitor as his way of controlling his cholesterol levels so he won’t have a heart attack like his father did. He runs. He
Jarvik’s Lipitor Commercials – Was Any of It True? Read More »
This New York Times letter to the editor caught my eye… Second opinions are so very necessary in a case of a difficult diagnosis, or when treatment will be needed for chronic recurrences of a disease, or in particular when a patient needs surgery. Patients are way too often intimidated at the thought of telling
Three Cheers – Cardiology and Second Opinions Read More »
The subtitle reads, “Good physicians know the bad ones in their midst. Why don’t they point fingers?” Good question, don’t you think? The article, entitled Doctors Who Do Harm, tells about doctors who maim and kill — as their colleagues stand by, watch, and don’t tell a soul. Why? According to Arthur Levin, of the
Reader’s Digest “Outrageous” Tells Michael Skolnik’s Story Read More »
My friend Sharon Feder from Lynxcare sent me this article from the LA Times about taking your fair share of medical deductions when it comes time to put together your tax return this year. (OK– detour here — why do they call it a tax return when it’s so rare that they return much of
Taxes and Medical Deductions — a Heads Up Read More »
Sherri Silesky has been blogging for over a year on topics pertaining to her chronic illnesses and her ability to advocate for herself. She is the first guest to post on this blog. Take a look at what Sherri has to say about learning to step up to the plate when you least feel like
Guest Post — Learning from the Constant Patient Read More »
