Health Headlines for Monday, May 2
The sickening cost of cures
Albany Times Union/Blog
It starts mildly enough, so mildly that people might not even realize they have it. In a few weeks, what symptoms there might be – fatigue, loss of appetite, a bit of jaundice – go away. But the disease remains, quietly doing damage for years, leading in some cases to cirrhosis and cancers of the liver, brain damage and death.
She Oversaw Obamacare’s Implementation. Now She Has a Chilling Forecast Regarding Its Future.
Albany Times Union
On paper, the Affordable Care Act, which you probably know better as Obamacare, looks to be chugging right along in spite of naysayers.
Relentless rise in prescription costs should accelerate government action
Buffalo News
The escalating price of prescription drugs is of concern to everyone, but particularly those whose health and well-being depends upon their medications.
Patients in chronic pain worry about getting medication after doctor’s indictment
Buffalo News
For patients like Stephen Szymoniak, the indictment of Dr. Eugene J. Gosy last week whipped up anxiety and confusion amid unanswered questions about care for pain.
Valeant’s CEO Was Key Force on Pricing
Wall Street Journal
In early 2015, when Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. ’s top brass met to set prices on a soon-to-be-acquired cardiac drug, some executives suggested slow, staggered price increases. Chief Executive Michael Pearson disagreed.
You’ll Never Guess the Surprising Way Obamacare Is Helping Millions of Americans
Albany Times Union
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known by the shorthand “Obamacare”) was passed in 2010 with two primary goals: Reduce the rate of uninsured Americans, and cut healthcare costs. Despite a number of setbacks — most recently UnitedHealth Group’s recent announcement that it is exiting most of the Obamacare public exchanges because its footprint there was unprofitable — the law is largely succeeding in its first goal. At the end of 2015, the uninsured rate in the U.S. was 11.9% according to a Gallup/Healthways survey — a far cry from the 18% uninsured rate in 2013 before many of the law’s provisions had taken effect.
After ‘The BiggestLoser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight
New York Times
Danny Cahill stood, slightly dazed, in a blizzard of confetti as the audience screamed and his family ran on stage. He had won Season 8 of NBC’s reality television show “The Biggest Loser,” shedding more weight than anyone ever had on the program — an astonishing 239 pounds in seven months.
California Doctors Are Advertising Ludicrous Medical Exemptions to Anti-Vaxxers
Motherboard
Dr. Tara Zandvliet, a pediatrician based in San Diego, has a pretty typical doctor’s website. The design is reminiscent of a late-90s Dreamweaver template; the color palette is beige, yellow, and brown. There’s an online system where you can book an appointment, a list of the services she offers and the prices, and a short bio listing her credentials.