Michael Hiltzik says the medically uninsured iin America have become a political football. Opponents and supporters of healthcare reform toss assertions about them back and forth.
The report, which says 46.3 million people lacked coverage as of the end of 2008, makes the case for reform stronger than ever by punching holes in arguments that minimize the plight of the uninsured.
Includes comments by WUSTL social work and public health professor Timothy McBride.

References:

1. Sept. 17, 2009 — U.S. Census Bureau data on the medically uninsured simply can't be denied in the Los Angeles Times

WUSTL economics professor David Levine says abolishing 'intellectual property' won't solve all social ills, but it would be a big step in the right direction for solving a range of problems from the high cost of health care, to innovating our way out of the current recession. In a series of posts with his co-author, WUSTL economics professor Michele Boldrin, they will be posting here about green technology, entertainment, free speech, multinationals, and innovation over the next weeks.

References:

1. Sept. 15, 2009 — Save the Whales! Abolish Patents! in the Huffingtonpost.com

How much is it going to cost to provide health care for all Americans? Until the details are complete, the only honest answer is: no one knows, reports John Schoen. "We know that the underinsured tend to be healthier," said Timothy McBride, associate dean for WUSTL's public health. "So if they were to get insured they would not be as expensive as the rest of us."

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Elusive price tag for universal health coverage in the MSNBC.com

Health-reform moves proposed by the White House and pursued in Congress have largely steered clear of direct hits to the medical-technology sector, with one big exception: medical imaging.
Such proposals follow years of rapid growth for medical scanning that has provoked questions about overuse.
William Peck, who directs WUSTL's Center for Health Policy, suggests the House legislation needs to get at the causes of overuse, such as doctors hedging against the threat of malpractice suits.

References:

1. Aug. 14, 2009 — Medical Imaging Under The Gun In Health-Reform Push in the The Wall Street Journal

and 5 others.

Should states' rights trump the fed? It seems to be a trend across the country. At least 20 states have introduced resolutions reasserting states' rights because they think that federal government is way too involved in what states do with things like taxes and health care and education. WUSTL law professor David Law comments.

References:

1. July 31, 2009 — Should states' rights trump the fed? in the CNN American Morning

There has been much hand-wringing over the dangers of medical residents' grueling schedules. One recent study advised that a solution would be to reduce the length of their shifts. But many in the medical community, including residents themselves, worry that shorter shifts could come at the expense of educational opportunities and possibly even patient safety. Includes comments by WUSTL Department of Medicine chairman Kenneth Polonsky.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Are Medical Residents Worked Too Hard? in the Time.com

The new science of measuring happiness has transformed self-help. Now scholars suggest it could transform society — from tort law to urban planning to medical care. WUSTL law professors Samuel Bagenstos and Margo Schlanger co-wrote a law review article in 2007 suggesting that the emphasis on lost enjoyment of life in jury awards actually makes it harder for the plaintiff to recover.

References:

1. May 10, 2009 — Perfectly Happy in the The Boston Globe

Two Kenyan brothers are in this country studying to be doctors. They are also fulfilling their father's dream of building a clinic in their remote home village to fight AIDS, the disease that killed both of their parents. Milton Ochieng is a resident at WUSTL's medical school. Fred is at Vanderbilt.

References:

1. Feb. 8, 2009 — Fulfilling a father's dream in the CNN Newsroom (national)

The largest prostate cancer screening program in U.S. history is showing high compliance and consistent results. The authors, led by Dr. Gerald L. Andriole at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, found that after the third annual follow-up round, compliance with screening had decreased only slightly, to 85%, from 89% at baseline.

References:

1. Jan. 1, 2009 — With annual prostate cancer screening, new cases are less advanced in the Reuters Health Medical News

So how much radiation is too much? Scientists are still figuring that out-- and they tend to disagree about the risks. But they recently found worrying signs that radiation exposure is on the rise, thanks largely to the popularity of high-tech medical exams such as CT scans. WUSTL radiology professor Henry Royal comments on the benefits and risks of tests and treatments.

References:

1. June 3, 2008 — X-Rays, sunshine: Could radiation be hurting your health? in the CNN.com/health

Debra Harp, WUSTL's associate director of Student Health Services, comments on mandatory health insurance mandates by universities, including WUSTL.

References:

1. Feb. 1, 2008 — Campus Health's Hidden Costs in the U.S. News & World Report online

WUSTL is exploring the possibility of increasing its involvement in the health of the region by establishing its own school of public health.
As part of a strategic planning process currently under way at the university, WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro and social work dean Edward Lawlor are investigating how the university can expand its focus on public health, according to Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor.

References:

1. Dec. 28, 2007 — Washington U. studies creation of public health school in the St. Louis Business Journal

and 3 others.

For the millions of baby boomers who will eventually need cataract surgery, here's some cheering news: New types of implantable lenses promise to restore your youthful vision. Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the newer multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between--and even to shed their glasses.
WUSTL ophthalmology professor Jay Pepose talks about one of the options.

References:

1. Dec. 17, 2007 — The Cataracts Are Gone -- and So Is the Need for Glasses in the U.S. News & World Report

Article looks at why people tend to dismiss symptoms that can indicate a serious illness.
Research has shown that your personality can affect how you react to medical symptoms too.
A 2005 WUSTL study found that men with low overall anxiety levels were more likely to ignore symptoms of rectal cancer and delay treatment. Those with at least moderate anxiety levels, on the other hand, tended to quickly recognize symptoms such as rectal bleeding as a sign of a serious illness.

References:

1. July 31, 2007 — Don't ignore your body's warning signs in the MSNBC.com

WHEN it comes to economic decisions, there are always trade-offs. Gain one thing and you lose something else. This is particularly true in health care, a market in which a scarce good is ridiculously expensive, but needed by everybody.
WUSTL economist Charles Courtemanche looks at the economic points in Michael Moore's movie 'Sicko.'

References:

1. July 7, 2007 — What's Lacking in 'Sicko' in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don't want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want.
WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter is one of the experts offering advice.

References:

1. June 10, 2007 — How to Talk About Aging in the Newsweek

With an agreement to take control of Chrysler, Cerberus, a private equity firm, is venturing into virtually uncharted territory in taking on a company with the problems the size of Chrysler's and with a union as powerful as the United Automobile Workers.
WUSTL law professor and vice dean Daniel Keating comments.

References:

1. May 15, 2007 — Cerberus Goes Where No Firm Has Gone Before in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

A flawed Medicare payment plan encourages aggressive use of a risky and costly anti-anemia drug on many kidney dialysis patients, say researchers who warn the system should be changed.
In an accompanying editorial in JAMA, WUSTL renal expert Daniel Coyne said kidney doctors who work with dialysis centers may not know they are "making dubious dosing decisions" because they sign multipage standing orders and turn over anemia management to chain employees.

References:

1. April 18, 2007 — Study Urges Caution on Anemia Drug Use in the Associated Press Online

and 55 others.

Basic errors made by doctors, including tests ordered too late or not at all and failure to create follow-up plans, played a role in nearly 60 percent of cases in which patients were allegedly hurt by missed or delayed diagnoses, a study found.
WUSTL oncologist Steven Sorscher comments.

References:

1. Oct. 3, 2006 — Study: Basic doctor errors result in missed, delayed diagnoses in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 57 others.

WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments on union negotiations with Northwest Airlines over whether the company could throw out contracts with pilots and flight attendants.Bernstein said the judge's main concern was helping the airline sort out its financial problems and survive — not how much the workers get paid.

References:

1. Feb. 16, 2006 — Northwest fate may hang on judge's decision in the USA Today

and 32 others.