Viewpoints: No Surprises Act Has Unintended Results; Wine Worse For Heart Health Than Previously Thought

Stat: Using Force Crossed My Mind When Examining A Defiant Young Patient
As I struggled to examine Johnny, an 8-year-old boy who refused to let me see into his mouth, yelling and screaming and spitting his defiance, I thought of another doctor who wrote of his own struggles examining a child’s throat more than 80 years ago. In 1938, doctor, writer, and poet William Carlos Williams wrote a short story entitled “The Use of Force” in which he painted a disturbing picture of the mix of emotions — frustration, anger and more — that boiled inside of him as he tried to examine a recalcitrant young patient during one of the diphtheria epidemics of his time. (Christopher Hartnick, 1/23)

CNN: If You Think That Glass Of Wine Is Good For You, It's Time To Reconsider
Several years ago, at the end of a clinic visit, a long-time patient with end-stage heart disease who was nearing the end of his life asked me if it was OK to drink some wine. The patient was a physician, and he knew what most lay people do not: Despite the widespread belief a little alcohol is good for your heart, it isn't. I thought for a moment, and told him, "Only good wine." (Jonathan Reiner, 1/23)

Kansas City Star: Health Cost Consumer Protections In Effect 
On Jan. 1, amid celebrations, fireworks and last-minute resolutions, American health care policy took a major step forward for patients. You may have missed it — but for millions of Americans who have been asking for relief on health care costs and me, it was the culmination of years of work to make our system more affordable, fair and accessible. Because on New Year’s Day, new consumer protections against surprise medical billing went into effect, essentially ending one of the most egregious practices in our country’s health care system. (Sharice Davids, 1/23)

Modern Healthcare: Insurers Already Exploiting The Surprise Billing Law 
Congress passed the No Surprises Act last year to protect patients from surprise medical bills. This bipartisan legislation was on its way to being celebrated as a victory by all involved—something increasingly rare in Washington, D.C., these days. Unfortunately, insurance companies are already exploiting the way the Biden administration is implementing the law. (Dr. Gillian Schmitz, 1/21)

Stat: We All Need Help Working Through Grief And Hardship 
What do you say at work when you’re not really OK? More to the point, how do you know you’re not OK when you’ve practiced showing everyone just how OK you are through all manner of hardship? We are clinicians and researchers working in geriatrics and palliative care, trying to improve systems of care to meet the needs of seriously ill older adults. Before the pandemic, our workplaces operated on thin margins, with barely enough clinical staff to meet patients’ needs. To fund our research, we had to act like entrepreneurs, writing grants to fund salaries and benefits for ourselves and any research staff, as well as money to pay for data collection and analysis. We are also grieving losses that transformed each workday into a minefield of triggers. (Krista Lyn Harrison, Meridith Greene and Anthony Galanos, 1/24)

The CT Mirror: Republicans Should Embrace Medicare-For-All
The greed and inefficiency of hospital conglomerates is destroying health care. Thanks to the costs of electronic medical records (EMR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposed on physicians, independent practices –- especially primary care — can no longer afford to stay in business. They are forced to sell out to hospitals who are more interested in paying administrators huge salaries rather than patient care. (Joseph Bentivegna MD, 1/24)