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'Move Imran Khan To Hospital': Pak Top Court Amid Health Concerns For Ex-PM
The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in 2022.
UToledo Health Performs Northwest Ohio’s First Histotripsy Procedures
Histotripsy uses focused sound waves to break down tumors without incisions, heat or radiation.
Guardian shortage contributing to hospital patient bottlenecks
Patients who aren't able to make medical decisions for themselves and lack a guardian can't be discharged from a hospital until a court appoints one — creating a complicated, lengthy logjam that can prevent others from accessing hospital beds. A new report finds the state is relying on a limited and shrinking pool of guardians.
'Needs to be moved to hospital now': Imran Khan's health in jail deteriorates
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Tuesday raised the alarm over jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s worsening health, saying his medical reports were “alarming” and pointing to anxiety, heart palpitations and high blood pressure.
ICE hasn’t paid UCHealth hospital since last year for immigrant health care
The hospital that has provided the majority of the emergency health care to immigrants detained at the GEO detention facility in Aurora hasn’t been paid since October 2025.
Springfield calls on Vibra Health to fix hazardous site
Local officials in Springfield say the site of the former Vibra Hospital remains a public safety hazard, calling on the property’s owners to take accountability.
Ventura County nurses and health care professionals to hold speak out to save Santa Paula Hospital
Registered nurses and healthcare professionals at Santa Paula Hospital in Santa Paula, Calif. and Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) in Ventura, Calif., will hold a speak out at Ventura County's Board of Supervisors hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to protest changes in services and possible closure.
FDA heightens egg recall to reflect potential ‘serious adverse health consequences or death’
As of July, 26 people had been hospitalized due to Salmonella linked to the tainted eggs.
Kentucky Gov. Beshear Keeps Pushing for Info on McConnell’s Health. He Says He’s ‘Heard Absolutely Nothing Back’
It's been more than a month since the Democratic Governor issued a public letter calling on the Republican to update his constituents on the status of his health amid a lengthy hospitalization.
Jury sides with Memorial Health in Camden Clark conspiracy suit
A federal jury has sided with Memorial Health in a lawsuit accusing WVU Medicine Camden Clark of secretly orchestrating a false federal lawsuit against the Marietta-based hospital system.
Hospitalist Dr. Gemechu Ayana joins Essentia Health-Fargo
Essentia Health-Fargo is proud to welcome hospitalist Dr. Gemechu Ayana.
Dartmouth Health says it needs to close telehealth services for emergency and intensive care
Five Vermont hospitals rely on the remote care to reduce costs of specialists and transfers while still providing high-acuity care close to home. Dartmouth Health says the costs are “simply unsustainable.”
Hospitalist Dr. Rushana Manatova joins Essentia Health-Fargo
Essentia Health-Fargo is proud to welcome hospitalist Dr. Rushana Manatova.
California couple in legal battle with surrogate who fled to Texas to give birth
The case involving parental rights and competing state laws is raising new questions for legal scholars.
Devon health maternity unit closure is 'a catastrophic failure'
County councillors discuss the closure of the maternity unit in North Devon District Hospital.
Hospitals say they found a tool to help reduce childbirth risks: wristbands
Hospitals across the U.S. are trying to reduce maternal deaths and complications after pregnancies using one small tool: a silicone wristband stamped with the declaration “I Gave Birth.”
In Idaho, an insurer says health care costs may rise after hospital taps Congress’s billing tool
Blue Cross argues that Post Falls ER & Hospital is out-of-network for insurers and relies on an arbitration process created by Congress.
Burcum: At a packed forum, Faribault charts a course for rural health care
Regarding the proposed Allina-Sutter merger, residents want specifics on their hospital’s future ― not talk of synergies and efficiencies, Jill Burcum writes.
Healthcare AI likened to a sleeping giant waiting to wake up in many hospitals not named Mayo Clinic
What would it take to put just about every U.S. hospital on par with Mayo Clinic in sheer quality of care? Not a lot more than better use of AI.
Trump administration demands hospitals share emergency room records
The CPSC, which protects the public from injuries caused by lawn mowers and strollers, is demanding that some of the nation’s biggest health systems turn over detailed, personally identifiable medical records of patients who seek emergency room help.
Italy’s Universal Health Care and the Role of Solidarity
Universal healthcare relies on collective financing and shared responsibility, while rising costs and competing interests put pressure on systems built on these principles.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he's "heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell"
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he hasn't heard back from Sen. Mitch McConnell following a formal request for an update on his health last month amid a weekslong hospitalization.
Before Abrupt Ouster, Oregon State Hospital’s Chief Flagged Staffing Problems, Union Says
The Oregon Health Authority fired Sean Murphy from leadership at the vital, much scrutinized state-run psychiatric hospital, just four weeks into a tenure that began July 13.
This 10-cent heart drug cuts hospitalizations by 25%
A centuries-old heart drug costing less than ten cents a day could help keep heart-failure patients out of the hospital. New research suggests low-dose digoxin can reduce heart-failure hospitalizations by about 25%, potentially paving the way for its return as a major treatment.
Ethicists: Clinicians aren’t wrong to expect more from certain patients’ families—but they wouldn’t be right to request it, either
Many nurses have spent untold hours at the bedsides of frail and fading inpatients who, despite having blood relatives in the vicinity, rarely receive visitors. In these scenarios, it’s only human for a healthcare worker to feel some measure of resentment toward the absentee family.
IU Health provides update on new Fort Wayne hospital as job recruitment begins, opening day nears
With less than a year until the opening of the new IU Health Fort Wayne Hospital, IU Health leaders say that the project is moving at a good pace.
Forbes names Huntsville Hospital Health System among nation’s best employers
Huntsville Hospital Health System has been named one of Forbes’ best employers for the sixth time, adding to several recent national recognitions.
Best U.S. hospitals list includes 14 in Minnesota, led by Mayo
The U.S. News & World Report ranks hospitals in all 50 states annually, and more Minnesota facilities made the list this year.
Before employers shift more healthcare costs to workers, they should ask hospitals a question
Healthcare is a growing operating expense and, per Mercer data, roughly three-quarters of CFOs rank healthcare as a top five operating cost concern.
Causeway Hospital: Other services will go if emergency surgery removed, campaigners say
The health minister has been urged not to approve plans to move the service away from Causeway Hospital.
Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris placed into 'induced coma'
Singer Shelly Clark White, wife of Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Verdine White, has an update on the band's drummer John Paris after he was hospitalized ahead of a recent
Wyoming directs rural health funds to critical access hospitals, EMS and more
Wyoming is receiving $205 million for the first year of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to expand the capacity of the state's healthcare system.
Mercy Leader Named Among Top Health Information Security Experts to Know
Mercy's Dan Henke, vice president of information security, is on an elite list of 55 top leaders for healthcare information security by Becker's Hospital Review. Those recognized are building the cybersecurity frameworks that stand between the organizations and an ever-evolving landscape of digital threats.
Gallery: Baptist Health Walker opens pediatric ER space, reopens NICU services
Baptist Health Walker Hospital has opened a new dedicated pediatric emergency room treatment space and reopened its Level II NICU services.Hospital leaders cut
Maryland’s new hospital payment model could drive up health insurance costs
Insurers warn the transition could shift more expenses to private payers and consumers while testing the stability of the state’s unique health care system.
Maine to explore the role of AI in rural health care
The state needs “a new approach to delivering rural health care,” officials said in a proposal for federal funding.
49ers Quarterback Kurtis Rourke Rushed To Hospital After Preseason Opener
The San Francisco 49ers suffered a scare following their 19-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in their preseason opener. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that quarterback Kurtis Rourke was struggling to breathe on Thursday night. As a result, he was sent to the hospital to undergo imaging and make ...
Same knee surgery, twice the price: Hospital monopolies push up healthcare costs
Last year alone, hospital and health systems announced 46 mergers and acquisitions, according to a healthcare business consulting firm. Five ranked as “mega-mergers,” meaning they were valued at more than $1 billion. One merged 28 hospi…
Here’s what that big hospital at the old Sears site in SLC would look like
New renderings of the planned Intermountain Health hospital at the old Sears site in Salt Lake City are here. What do you think of them?
MHA CEO Report — Strong Hospitals Help Build Strong Communities - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association
Hospitals are often discussed in relation to their impact on patients, but their influence extends much further. Beyond providing care, hospitals help communities attract employers, support local jobs and provide the services families need to live and work in Michigan. Last week, the MHA released the 2026 Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan report
Henry Ford Providence Southfield Hospital loses Level II trauma status
Henry Ford Health says ambulances can no longer bring trauma patients to its Providence Southfield Hospital because it lost its trauma center status.
U.S., U.K. health care systems share a fatal flaw
“The default to biomedical responses means that clinics and hospitals are increasingly absorbing the costs of social problems,” writes Kyle Vanelli.
Epic launches new one-click feature allowing outside hospitals to share medical images without CDs
The Verona, Wisconsin-based vendor this month is rolling out its Care Everywhere Diagnostic Image Exchange across the Epic community.
Hochul warns Washington is gutting New York healthcare
Gov. Hochul was in Fredonia Thursday to highlight $124 million in state funding for the new Northern Chautauqua Hospital.
Christy Knowings, 'All That' star, dies at 46 after hospitalization
Christy Knowings, best known for her work as a child actor on the Nickelodeon show "All That," has reportedly died. She was 46.
Luján, hospital leaders talk Medicaid 'headwinds' and rural health gaps at Rio Rancho roundtable
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, told hospital administrators at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center that Republican-backed federal Medicaid cuts won’t just hurt New Mexicans enrolled in the program — they’ll raise care and insurance costs for everyone else, too. Presbyterian Delivery System President Chad Aduddell told Luján the nonprofit system — […]
Multiple employees hospitalized after incident at Hudson industrial businesses
Several employees at an industrial business in Hudson were brought to area hospitals with various symptoms Thursday morning, prompting a hazardous materials response.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Achieves Major Milestone with Successful Completion of First Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Queens, NY – NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens today announced the successful completion of its first Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), marking a significant
Nurses at 10 SSM Health outpatient clinics in Dane County working to unionize
Nurses at 10 outpatient clinics in Dane County are working to unionize, saying they were inspired by a similar effort at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.
Hazmat incident at Hudson business sends 16 people to hospitals
Sixteen people were hospitalized at an industrial business in Hudson, Massachusetts, on Thursday, fire officials said. A chemical process is believed to have contributed to what happened, according to the Hudson Fire Department, which called in a Hazardous Materials team to help respond to the incident, reported about 8:47 a.m. on Parmenter Road. Employees at the business reported serious illnesses,…
Michigan cyclosporiasis outbreak tops 13,900 cases; 35 additional hospitalizations in past week
An additional 35 Michigan residents have required hospital care for cyclosporiasis as an outbreak continues to be tracked, state health officials said on Thursday.
'Chemical process' at Hudson MA business hospitalizes 16 people
Hudson firefighters responded to what they are calling a "mass casualty incident" on Parmenter Road.
16 people hospitalized following chemical Hazmat incident at Mass. industrial business
Over a dozen people were hospitalized after a chemical incident at a Massachusetts industrial business made workers seriously ill.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Achieves Prestigious Joint Commission Recertification as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center
Bronx, NY – NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln announced today that the hospital has once again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the
Schmieding Foundation Commits $1.5 Million to UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital
LITTLE ROCK — The Schmieding Foundation, Inc., pledged $1.5 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to support construction and activities of the UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Springdale, Arkansas.
Schmieding Foundation Commits $1.5 Million to UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital
LITTLE ROCK — The Schmieding Foundation, Inc., pledged $1.5 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to support construction and activities of the UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Springdale, Arkansas.
The intelligent hospital room works for everyone
Picture an inpatient room where the bedside nurse, virtual clinician, patient and operational leader are connected through a unified care environment,
HHS Releases Report Exposing Fraudulent Insurance Coding For Sex-rejecting Procedures On Minors
HHS released a report Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of “Gender Medicine”.
UNC Health Pardee Marks Major Milestone with Ribbon Cutting for New Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center
UNC Health Pardee Marks Major Milestone with Ribbon Cutting for New Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health Center
‘The Gentlemen’ ransomware gang takes over hospital Facebook after cyberattack
AnMed, a nonprofit health system, suffered a data breach in late July that has left some of its systems still offline. Now, an infamous hacker group is claiming credit for the attack in an unusual way.
Some spikes, but hospitals not overwhelmed by World Cup-related visits
State officials reported a "noticeable" jump in alcohol-related visits around games that landed on weekends.
Opinion | Expand training programs for entry-level health care jobs
Hospitals need workers, but colleges can’t accept enough students
Hospitals chipping away at maternal mortality one birth at a time
If you could help break the silence around the nation’s maternal mortality crisis for something like 1 cent per message, wouldn’t you make the spend? If so, know that a growing number of hospitals has already laid the groundwork.
Loma Linda University Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation Break Ground on new Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Loma Linda
Loma Linda University Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, an operating division of Lifepoint Health, celebrated a major milestone today as they officially broke ground on the new Loma Linda University Rehabilitation Hospital, a free-standing hospital that will include 80 dedicated rehabilitation beds. “For three decades, our East Campus Hospital has provided comprehensive rehabilitation services to those […]
Aramark Sports + Entertainment to Transform Iowa Cornfield into Full MLB Gameday Hospitality Experience for 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Presented by John Deere
For the third year, Aramark Sports + Entertainment (Aramark; NYSE: ARMK), the award-winning food and beverage, retail, and facilities services partner of eight MLB stadiums, is preparing to transform an Iowa cornfield into a full-scale gameday culinary operation for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Field of Dreams game presented by John Deere.
Aramark Sports + Entertainment to Transform Iowa Cornfield into Full MLB Gameday Hospitality Experience for 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Presented by John Deere
For the third year, Aramark Sports + Entertainment (Aramark; NYSE: ARMK), the award-winning food and beverage, retail, and facilities services partner of eight MLB stadiums, is preparing to transform an Iowa cornfield into a full-scale gameday culinary operation for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Field of Dreams game presented by John Deere.
How Nevada made big strides to keep kids with behavioral health issues out of institutions
Four years ago, the federal government found the state was sending too many kids out of state for treatment. That number has been cut by more than half.
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital CEO is no longer with Memorial Healthcare System
Caitlin Stella, who has been the CEO for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for the past eight years, is no longer in that position as of Tuesday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has learned..
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Receives $600,000 for New Ophthalmology Microscope
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx CEO Christopher Mastromano announced today that, thanks to the generous support of Borough President
BREAKING: Oregon State Hospital superintendent ousted after resignation of health authority leader
This is a developing story and may be updated The superintendent of the Oregon State Hospital who was appointed less than a month ago by a since-departed director of the Oregon Health Authority is out as head of the troubled state-run mental hospital, the health authority said Wednesday. Oregon Health Authority Interim Director Fariborz Pakseresht […]
Perez Hilton’s Mother Files For Temporary Custody Of His Children After Hospitalization
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was hospitalized late Tuesday after fans called the police during a disturbing TikTok livestream.
VHC Health gets record-breaking $17.5M donation, supporting new cancer center
A $17.5 million donation to VHC Health, the largest philanthropic gift in the organization's history, is supporting a new cancer center expected to open in 2028. VHC Health is renaming its outpatient pavilion the "Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry Outpatient Pavilion" in honor of the donors, who previously contributed $3 million to the hospital that
Hendersonville hospital celebrates opening of Adolescent Behavioral Health Center
WLOS News 13 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Asheville, NC and nearby towns and communities in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina, including the counties of Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, Haywood, Polk, Transylvania, McDowell, Mitchell, Madison, Yancey, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, Union, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Greenwood, Abbeville and also Biltmore Forest, Woodfin, Leicester, Black Mountain, Montreat, Arden, Weaverville, Hendersonville, Etowah, Flat Rock, Mills River, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton, Clyde, Franklin, Cullowhee, Sylva, Cherokee, Marion, Old Fort, Forest City, Lake Lure, Bat Cave, Spindale, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Burnsville, Tryon, Columbus, Marshall, Mars Hill, Brevard, Bryson City, Cashiers, Greer, Landrum, Clemson, Gaffney, and Easley.
From first 72 hours to first 90 days, tech extends hospital care beyond discharge
As value-based care expands, health systems are using technology-dependent transitional care to support patients at home, reduce readmissions and improve outcomes.
Altru’s Home Health Services to close Sept. 1
Team members provide health care services for patients in an area extending from Devils Lake to Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Transition planning for patients is in progress, an official says.
Rural health panel divvies $205M in federal funds for Wyoming healthcare
Panel assigned money to hospitals, EMS services and maternal care in attempt to shore up medical access.
Hospitals Say They Found a Tool To Help Reduce Childbirth Risks: Wristbands
North Carolina and other states have embraced “I Gave Birth” wristbands as a way to encourage women to seek help when they have postpartum complications. They’re gaining steam as the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid threaten postpartum care.
Hospitals push for upfront payments as patient deductibles and out-of-pocket costs rise
Your address holds clues to knowing your child's hospitalization risk
Researchers at Cincinnati Children's used local data to create a framework that predicts a child's hospitalization risk based on their address.
Trump officials tout Medicaid financing changes ahead of midterms
Republican-sponsored changes in Medicaid will lower hospital prices and Americans’ health insurance premiums, the White House contends in a new report.
Henry Ford Health to close St. Clair emergency room
Henry Ford Health to close River District Hospital ER Sept. 1; inpatient services end, labs/pharmacy remain open.
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital designated as a NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital is being recognized among the nation’s leaders in rare disease care for children and families.
St. Anthony Hospital names new chairman amid relocation effort
Dr. Peter McCauley, currently a strategic adviser for healthcare private equity firm 2Flo Ventures, will replace the hospital's former CEO Guy Medaglia.
Cone Health one more step closer to bringing new hospital to Mebane
The $250 million Cone Health Mebane Hospital will be located at 103 Medical Park Drive.
NYC Health + Hospitals Commits $23.7 Million to New York Legal Assistance Group’s LegalHealth Unit for Free Legal Services for Patients
New York, NY – Today, NYC Health + Hospitals announced a $23.7 million contract to offer free health-related civil legal services to its patients at its
Henry Ford Health closing emergency room at St. Clair County hospital
Henry Ford Health will close its emergency department and end inpatient services at its River District Hospital in East China Township.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter Appoints New Chief Nursing Officer
Today NYC Health + Hospitals announced the appointment of Caroline H. Araullo, MSN-NE, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC as the new Chief Nursing Officer at NYC Health +
Sports hospitality veteran Don Dierig named chief operating officer of Sportservice
Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company, today announced the promotion of Don Dierig to chief operating officer of Sportservice, its sports hospitality business. As chief operating officer, Dierig will lead Sportservice’s day-to-day food, beverage and retail operations across the company’s portfolio of sports venues spanning Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the […]
Proven behavioral health navigation at scale: Inside Tufts Medicine’s playbook
Behavioral health conditions affect roughly 30% of patients, and these patients remain among the costliest and most challenging to guide to appropriate
Cone Health Mebane Hospital to Move Forward
The appeal of the project has been dismissed.
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized
Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA
March of Dimes report highlights Arkansas’ gaps in maternity care
Upcoming Medicaid cuts “could lead to additional labor and delivery unit closures and put entire rural hospitals at risk,” according to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Medical systems, health agencies get $80 million from feds to boost rural health
Dozens of projects from county health departments, healthcare systems and Maryland hospitals will share $80 million in new federal funding to improve access to healthcare in Maryland’s rural communities, the Moore administration announced Monday.
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Partners with HXE to Strengthen Global MICE Business Through Digital Innovation
Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), a global hospitality leader with a portfolio spanning key destinations worldwide, has entered into a Strategic Partnership Program agreement with HXE in Singapore. The partnership combines MHR's global hospitality network with HXE's digital MICE platform to create new opportunities for corporate meetings and events while supporting the growing demand for seamless, technology-enabled event planning.
Twelve U.S. Health Systems and Aidoc Unite to Confront America’s Diagnostic Capacity Crisis
As demand for diagnostic answers outpaces the physicians available to deliver them, health systems are collaborating with Aidoc on a shared goal: helping patients receive a safe, accurate diagnosis sooner.
Woman’s Perinatal Mental Health Unit leads a new approach to maternal mental health
The Perinatal Mental Health Unit at Woman’s Hospital is being honored with a Community Impact Award for its work establishing mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women. The award is part of Business Report’s inaugural Excellence in Healthcare Awards. The hospital opened the Perinatal Mental Health Unit, Louisiana’s first inpatient psychiatric unit dedicated exclusively […]
Surgery center to transition services to Marshall Health Network
Three Gables Surgery says procedures will transition to Marshall Health Network - St. Mary’s Medical Center and Marshall Health Network - Cabell Huntington Hospital.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Celebrates 10 Years of Baby-Friendly Excellence After Prestigious Re-Designation Through 2032
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx is celebrating a decade of Baby-Friendly excellence at its North Central Bronx location. It recently