Weekend update

David Ermer–Uncategorized–

The FEHBlog is back inside the Beltway. While up in the Nutmeg state, the FEHBlog learned from a good pharmacist friend that the FEHBlog’s font needed a larger font to help vision impaired readers. The FEHBlog consulted Google and upped the FEHBlog’s font size to 20 px and changed the font from Arial to Merriwether is supposed to be an easier read font when larger px fonts are used. You can learn something new everyday.

While driving back to DC, the FEHBlog and spouse passed through New Haven, CT. The New Haven Register reports that the K2 overdose crisis on the New Haven Green (discussed in last Friday’s post) waned after arrests were made.

While driving through New Jersey, the FEHBlog and spouse listened to the latest Econtalk podcast.  Stanford econ professor Russ Roberts interviewed Dr. David Melter, who is an MD and holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Chicago. Dr. Meltzer runs the hospitalist program at the University of Chicago hospital. The FEHBlog has mentioned that his own internist told him that due to the common use of hospitalists, he may not even know when one of his patients is hospitalized.  With funding from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Dr. Meltzer conducted a study involving a cohort of 2,000 patients with Medicare. Half of the group were assigned new primary care providers from the University of Chicago who coordinated their inpatient and outpatient care. The other half was a control group although the study helped the control group members find a primary care provider to monitor outpatient care if necessary. The study was conducted over a four year period from 2012-2016. The test subgroup had higher satisfaction with their coordinating doctors, better mental health, and materially lower hospitalization rates than the control group. The study points again to the importance of primary care providers who oversee all aspects to patient care to lowering health care costs. Check out the podcast.

The Senate remains in session on Capitol Hill this coming week. The Washington Examiner reports that the Senate is making progress in passing FY 2019 appropriations measures.

Here are some tidbits from last week:

  • Arstechnica reports that the Food and Drug Administration approved Teva Pharmaceuticals application to market generic adult and pediatric versions of the EpiPen self injection device for treating severe allergic reactions. 
  • U.S. News and World Report came out with its 2018 list of best hospitals. 
  • Modern Healthcare came out with its annual list of the 100 Americans who have the most impact on our healthcare policy. This group is lead by President Trump and twelve disrupters all ranked no. 2.