Healthcare Policy Archives

Dollars and Drugs: The Battle over Drug Costs and Care Equity

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Feb 3, 2024 | Healthcare Policy

Access my Dr. Barry Speaks Channel on YouTube The United States healthcare system is a complex interplay of providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies, each navigating a landscape where the cost of care and medications significantly surpasses that of other...

Were the Japan and Alaska Airlines Safety Incidents Miracles?

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Jan 14, 2024 | Healthcare Policy

We think of miracles as outcomes we have no control over. The safe return of the passengers on the Japan Airlines crash and the Alaska Airlines depressurization are not miracles in the typical way we think of them. They were miracles of “regulation, training,...

Does Private Equity Ownership Enhance Patient Care?

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 27, 2023 | Healthcare Policy

While private equity (PE) strives to reduce costs and increase profits in companies it purchases, a recent JAMA article provides evidence that such purchases lead to an increase in adverse events and an overall decrease in quality of care. The study compared data from...

Beyond Medicare: The Far-Reaching Consequences of the Inflation Reduction Act on Drug Costs

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 9, 2023 | Healthcare Policy

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 broadly impacts prescription drug prices in the United States and changes state Medicaid and employee health plans. The IRA introduces significant modifications to how Medicare pays for prescription drugs. Historically,...

U.S. Infant Mortality Trends Unacceptable

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Nov 3, 2023 | Healthcare Policy

The Centers for Disease Control reports a 3 percent increase in infant mortality in the U.S., reaching 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. This uptick represents a trend that had a nearly continuous decline since 1995. Infant mortality, defined as the death of a child...

Our Duty of Care

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Oct 30, 2023 | Healthcare Policy

Excerpts from Following Our Duty of Care When I see my healthcare provider, I trust that they have my best interests at heart. I bet you do, too. But what is the basis for our trust in them? “Duty of Care” is a framework that governs the conduct and...