A "Health Care Fed" and Obama

An idea that has been floating around for some time is that a "Health Care Fed" needs to be created as a means to control health care costs.I first heard of the concept in a conversation I had with former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop a few years ago. Later, the idea showed up as a centerpiece in the National Coalition's plan to reform the health care system.And in both cases, I have supported

Health Wonk Review Is UP

This week's review of the best health care blog posts is up over at Merrill Goozner's, "Gooznews.com." The former foreign correspondent, economics writer, investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, as well as teacher and researcher, always has interesting things to say on his blog.

The Usual and Customary Controversy--Who's Cheating Whom?

New York AG Andrew Cuomo recently announced an investigation into how insurers pay for out-of-network services. He charged that consumers were being "defrauded" by insurers who were "manipulating reimbursement rates."Cuomo used the example of a charge for an office visit of $200 that the insurer cut back to $77--the insurer claimed the lower amount was reasonable and the maximum that should be