Valleywide Legal Blog

Thanks to Health Insurance Health Care Is Getting Worse.

In the United States, we already pay more than any other developed nation for health care, but have poorer outcomes in major categories of care, such as infant mortality, life expectancy, obesity levels and rate of suicide, just to name … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospitals, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Misdiagnosis |

Some Medicare Advantage Plans Are Taking Us For A Ride

In 2003, Congress made a major change to Medicare.  In the hopes of reducing costs through privatization, it created what are called Medicare Advantage plans.  The idea was that private companies would be paid a fixed amount to provide Medicare … Read More

Posted in Fee for Service, Fraud, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, medical charts, Medical Costs, Medicare, Secrecy |

Virginia OB/GYN, Who Routinely Performed Unnecessary Surgeries, Gets Prison Time

There are predators in the medical profession.  The profession is unable or unwilling to root them out.  The doctor I writing about today was proven to have preyed on vulnerable women in Southern Virginia for at least ten years between … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, Cancer, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Fraud, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Lawsuits, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice lawyers, medical mistakes, Medicare, never events, plaintiff, Secrecy, Surgical Errors, tort reform |

Capitalism Can Be Bad For Your Health

Capitalism has done wonders for the world in terms of raising the standard of living for so many people.  Of course, like everything else in this world, capitalism is not an unbridled blessing.  It has its dark side.  When it … Read More

Posted in Doctors, drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hospitals, Medical Costs |

Doctor Conflicts of Interest Are Getting Worse.

“Under no circumstances may physicians place their own financial interests above the welfare of their patients.”  American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 11.2.2. Doctors rightly occupy a privileged position in our society.  We entrust them with our bodies, … Read More

Posted in Doctors, drug companies, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Hip Replacement, Hospitals, joint replacement, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, medical ethics, Medicare, Plastic Surgery, PODS, Prostate Cancer, Secrecy |

Fee For Service Isn’t Working.

Every year it is the same old story.  Americans pay more per person for health care than any other developed country in the world and yet our health care outcomes don’t measure up to the other countries.  We spend twice … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, healthy living, Hospitals, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Medicare, Nurses, Obesity, obesity epidemic |

It Is The Wild West Out There.

In the movies, the wild west is always portrayed as a lawless place in which the sheriff was either outgunned or corrupt and citizens were at the mercy of the bad guys.  You had to protect yourself because there was … Read More

Posted in Arizona Medical Board, disclosure of medical mistakes, Doctors, Fraud, Health Care Costs, Hospitals, Medical Devices, medical errors, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medical Negligence, PODS, Secrecy, Surgical Errors |

Beware! Beware! Beware! Part II

Last week I wrote about scams being perpetrated on patients.  This week the scammers took on Medicare and the health insurance industry.  Over a period of five years, a woman and her doctor husband operated a surgery “institute,” which defrauded … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Fraud, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, medical ethics, Plastic Surgery |

Beware! Beware! Beware!

Healthcare is a multi-billion dollar industry.  Where there is money, there are fraudsters and scammers.  The healthcare industry has more than its share.  Some of these scammers target Medicare and health insurers but many target individuals.  Don’t be one of … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Fraud, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Medical Devices, medical ethics, Medical Malpractice, Medicare, Plastic Surgery |

“Get That Money.”

That was the message to employees of a dermatology practice in the Midwest that had been purchased by a hedge fund.  The bosses at the hedge fund were encouraging the employees of the dermatology practice to get more patients scheduled … Read More

Posted in Cancer, Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Melanoma, science news |