Valleywide Legal Blog

Technology Comes For The Humble Stethoscope.

Two hundred years ago, a Frenchman invented a tube with which he could listen to heart and lung sounds.  This was the first stethoscope.  Heart disease is one of the major causes of death throughout the world.  Often the abnormalities … Read More

Posted in Doctors, General Health, health, heart attack, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, medical errors, medical research, Misdiagnosis, science news |

When Will Congress Protect The American People?

If you needed any further proof of the corrosive effect of unlimited corporate money in politics, look no further than the scandalous profits being made by the big drug companies.  Drug companies are rolling in profits.  They make these profits … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, Medicare, Type 1 Diabetes |

How the U.S. Health System Puts Diabetics in Danger

“How the U.S. health-care system puts people with diabetes in danger” is the title of an article which appeared today in the Washington Post.  The author is an ICU physician who sees and treats diabetics when they become critically ill … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, healthy living, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Type 1 Diabetes |

Sepsis and Diet.

Sepsis is one of the leading killers in the United States.  1.7 million Americans get sepsis each year.  Fully one-third of all patients who die in hospital have sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s response to overwhelming infection.  For most of … Read More

Posted in blood infections, General Health, health, healthy living, Infection, medical research, Obesity, obesity epidemic, Sepsis |

Arizona Hospitals Busted by Medicare for Patient Safety Lapses.

I am not the only one who believes that there are patient safety problems at Arizona hospitals.  Medicare has announced that it is penalizing 15 Arizona hospitals for high rates of infection and patient safety issues.  The Arizona 15 are … Read More

Posted in General Health, health, Health Care Costs, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, Infection, Medical Costs, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medicare, Sepsis |

Drug Costs Continue To Soar.

I have often written about the fact that drug prices in the United States are a disgrace.  See here and here.  We pay more for the same drugs than anyone else in the world.  A recent article in the New … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Medical Costs, medical research, Medicare |

Happy New Year – Big Pharma Is Raising Drug Prices Again And People Are Dying As A Result.

The price of drugs has been going up and up for the last 20 years as the big drug companies have raised prices over and over again for no reason other than a desire for record profits.  No one in … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, healthy living, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Pharmacies, Rationing |

Hospital Consolidation Is Driving Up Health Care Costs.

Last week I wrote about hospitals not knowing exactly what their costs were for various procedures.  Without that information, they cannot make informed decisions about pricing.  Without informed decisions about pricing, there can be no price competition.  There also can … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospitals, Medical Costs, Medicare, Rationing |

I’ll Take Lobbying for $2 Billion, Alex.

The answer is, “They spent $2.3 billion on lobbying over the last 20 years.”  If you answered, “What is the pharmaceutical lobby?,” you won.  Actually, you didn’t win.  You lost because all that drug money flowing into Washington did exactly … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Medicare |

Big Pharma and You.

Forgive me for getting on my insulin soapbox again.  Because of my young grandson’s Type 1 diabetes, I am very interested in all things Type 1 related.  I am especially interested in what it takes to keep him alive.  Every … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, Type 1 Diabetes |