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# APRA

American Patient Rights Association

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.americanpatient.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Patients at Risk: Big Pharma Pays Thousands of Docs](https://www.americanpatient.org/drug-and-device-makers-pay-thousands-of-docs-with-disciplinary-records/) - How Pharmaceutical Industry Dollars Reach Your Doctors. By Mike Tigas, Ryann Grochowski Jones, Charles Ornstein, and Lena Groeger, ProPublica. Drug companies spend $30 billion annually on marketing. More than $2 billion in payments to doctors, other medical providers and health care institutions have been disclosed by 15 pharmaceutical companies since 2009. There are more than 70 pharmaceutical companies in
- [Aging Out of the Mammogram](https://www.americanpatient.org/aging-out-of-the-mammogram/) - For many women, regular breast cancer screening is standard medical protocol. But for older women, should it be? By Paula Span, for The New York Times. When Janet Halloran last saw her primary care physician, the doctor asked whether she had undergone her annual mammogram. Yes, she replied, she had. At 76, Ms. Halloran, a
- [Patient Hospital Reviews](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-hospital-reviews/) - In order to improve the information available to the public about our hospitals, APRA is now accepting online reviews from patients about their hospital experience. Registered members may post reviews here. Reviews may be read here. Coming Soon. APRA Patient Safety Reporting System - Patients, their families, and medical workers can file an online report
- [Shopping for pricy ACA health plans](https://www.americanpatient.org/shopping-for-pricy-aca-health-plans/) - Discover essential tips for enrolling in ACA health plans for 2026 amid rising premiums and subsidy changes. Stay informed before the Jan 15 deadline.
- [Unnecessary Treatments and Procedures That Can Kill You](https://www.americanpatient.org/unnecessary-treatments-and-procedures-can-kill-you/) - Studies consistently show that overtreatment is directly associated with preventable patient harm. The following lists were created by national medical specialty societies and represent specific recommendations. Each list provides information on when tests and procedures may be appropriate. Resources for consumers were developed in collaboration with partner organizations to help engage patients in these important conversations
- [Dangerous Meds That Lower Blood Pressure](https://www.americanpatient.org/dangerous-meds-that-lower-blood-pressure/) - Why You May Want to Avoid These 2 Types of Blood Pressure Meds By Gigen Mammoser for Healthline - Updated on March 19, 2018. Experts urge a change in medication to decrease the risk of death. For people with high blood pressure, fluctuating readings are a warning sign that you might need to change medication.
- [No money or insurance? Not vaccinated? Can Hospitals Turn Patients Away?](https://www.americanpatient.org/can-hospitals-turn-patients-away/) - Can hospitals turn patients away if they have no money or insurance? Can hospitals refuse to admit you if you are unvaccinated? Yes and no. It depends on the circumstances. As COVID cases spread and emergency rooms fill up, hospitals are having to make tough choices about who they admit. . The EMTALA act has
- [APRA's Patient's Hospital Safety Guide App](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-releases-an-app-to-stop-the-3rd-leading-cause-of-death/) - Patient's Hospital Safety Guide is a free app, available for iPhones from the App Store and soon available for Android phones. It contains important information that everyone should have in case they, a family member or friend, need to go to a hospital due to an illness, injury, accident, or even for a scheduled outpatient procedure.
- [The Patient’s Hospital Safety Guide](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-patients-guide-to-hospital-safety-2/) - The following is an abridged version of the Patient’s Hospital Safety Guide app (sample screenshots above), which is available from the App Store for iPhones and soon Google Play Store for Android phones. The content is similar however the app is designed for easy navigation and use. This guide and any and all associated information is not offered as,
- [Most Expensive Hospitals](https://www.americanpatient.org/most-expensive-hospitals/) - These are the hospitals in the United States with the highest markup of prices over their actual costs. That means that they are charging out-of-network patients and the uninsured, as well as auto and workers’ compensation insurers, more than 10 times the costs allowed by Medicare. List of most expensive hospitals
- [Hospital Rating Systems Differ on Best and Worst](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-rating-systems-differ-on-best-and-worst/) - By REED ABELSON for the New York Times. Four popular national rating systems used by consumers to judge hospitals frequently come to very different conclusions about which hospitals are the best — or worst — potentially adding to the confusion over health care quality, rather than alleviating it, a new study shows. The analysis, published on
- [Choose the Best Surgeon](https://www.americanpatient.org/choose-the-best-surgeon/) - Guided by experts, death and complication rates are calculated for surgeons performing one of eight elective procedures in Medicare, carefully adjusting for differences in patient health, age and hospital quality. Use this website to know more about a surgeon before your operation (historical information). Consumer's Checkbook Choosing the best surgeon can reduce your chances of death,
- [How Does Your Local Hospital Stack Up](https://www.americanpatient.org/your-local-hospital/) - To find out how your local hospital stacks up for patient safety and the procedures they offer, check the following hospital rating and ranking services. No hospitals were assessed as high performers by all systems. Most hospitals ranked as top performers by one system weren't ranked as top performers by any others. In fact, in
- [Becker's "100 Great Hospitals in America."](https://www.americanpatient.org/beckers-100-great-hospitals-in-america-2024-edition/) - Becker's Healthcare is pleased to release the 2024 edition of its list of "100 great hospitals in America." The hospitals included on this list have been recognized nationally for excellence in clinical care, patient outcomes, and staff and physician satisfaction. These institutions are industry leaders that have achieved advanced accreditation and certification in several specialties.
- [10 Best Hospital Cities' in the US](https://www.americanpatient.org/10-best-hospital-cities-in-the-us/) - To identify the "best hospital cities" in the U.S. and the world, cities were compared on 12 metrics that fell into one of the following three categories: quality of care, infrastructure and access. The metrics range from surgeons per capita to cost of medicine. Each factor was graded on a 100-point scale, and the cities
- [How to Choose a Qualified Surgeon: Lessons From “Dr. Death”](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-choose-a-qualified-surgeon-lessons-from-dr-death/) - Millions have listened to the new podcast series, “Dr. Death,” about a surgeon with a penchant for botching procedures and leaving patients crippled—or worse, dead. And I’ve been hearing concerns from my own patients with the question, “How do I know my surgeon isn’t a Dr. Death?” By Sharon Orrange, MD, MPH For GoodRX.com. As
- [Balance Billing in Health Insurance](https://www.americanpatient.org/balance-billing-in-health-insurance/) - Balance billing happens after you’ve paid your deductible, coinsurance or copayment and your insurance company has also paid everything it’s obligated to pay toward your medical bill. If there is still a balance owed on that bill and the doctor or hospital expects you to pay that balance, you’re being balance billed. . By Elizabeth Davis, RN, for
- [How to Pay In-Network Rates for Out-Of-Network Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-pay-in-network-rates-for-out-of-network-care/) - Want to get care from an out-of-network doctor, clinic, or hospital? You might pay a lot more than you would if you stayed in-network. In fact, with HMOs and EPOs, your health insurance might not pay anything at all for out-of-network care. Even if your health insurance is a PPO or POS plan that contributes
- [How to fight an outrageous medical bill, explained](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-fight-an-outrageous-medical-bill-explained/) - I’ve come across some astounding charges investigating how emergency rooms bill patients. A woman in California fell off her bike and now faces a $20,243 bill. A patient in New Jersey never got past the ER waiting room and ended up with a $5,751 bill. A dad in Connecticut got a bill for $629 for
- [Guide to Reducing Hospital Bills for Lower-Income Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/guide-to-reducing-hospital-bills-for-lower-income-patients/) - More than 27 million Americans lack any health insurance—58% of low-income working adults, 44% of young adults, and 35% of Latinx adults. In addition, almost 50% of nonelderly adults have insurance that requires high deductibles and significant out-of-pocket costs. In recent years the number of Americans uninsured or underinsured has been growing. This article provides
- [How Medical Bills Affect Your Credit and What To Do About It](https://www.americanpatient.org/33035-2/) - Even with health insurance, you can still end up with medical bills from medical expenses that weren’t covered by insurance. If you don't pay medical bills when they are due, they can end up going into collections. When this happens, they will show up on your credit report and lower your credit score. Unpaid medical
- [US Healthcare 101: How to Fight High Medical Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/us-healthcare-101-how-to-fight-predatory-medical-billing/) - A personal story of fighting the villains of the healthcare “non-system”. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on throughout the US and the world at large, doctors, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals alike are being hailed as heroes. This is a much-deserved title since these individuals are risking their health, safety, and very lives fighting a
- [Medical Bill Debt Forgiveness: How to Reduce or Cancel Your Hospital Bill](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bill-debt-forgiveness-how-to-reduce-your-hospital-bill/) - Editorial Note: You may not have to pay that hospital bill at all. See this. The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. Health problems put a strain on your quality of life, and that stress can be amplified by unmanageable medical bills. In many cases, however, it’s possible
- [No Surprises Act: Understand Your Rights Against Surprise Medical Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-surprises-understand-your-rights-against-surprise-medical-bills/) - The No Surprises Act protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers. It also establishes an independent dispute resolution process for payment disputes between plans and providers,
- [How to Get Rid of Medical Debt — Or Avoid It in the First Place](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-get-rid-of-medical-debt-or-avoid-it-in-the-first-place/) - Article Summary: This article offers practical advice in facing medical debt and various ways in which we can avoid it. By Yuki Noguchi, NPR. Lori Mangum was 32 when apple-sized tumors sprouted on her head. Now — six years and 10 surgeries later — the skin cancer is gone. But her pain lives on, in
- [Seniors Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans](https://www.americanpatient.org/dropping-medicare-advantage-plans/) - As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans. A GAO report questions the quality of a number of Medicare Advantage plans after large numbers of sicker enrollees dropped them. When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor who treats
- [DaVita Settles Huge Whistleblower Lawsuit Over Medicare Fraud](https://www.americanpatient.org/feds-settle-huge-whistleblower-suit-over-medicare-advantage-fraud/) - By Fred Schulte, KHN News. . One of the nation’s largest dialysis providers will pay $270 million to settle a whistleblower’s allegation that it helped Medicare Advantage insurance plans cheat the government for several years. The settlement by HealthCare Partners Holdings LLC, part of giant dialysis company DaVita Inc., is believed to be the largest
- [Medicare Advantage Organizations Overturn 75% of Their Denials ](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-advantage-organizations-overturn-75-of-their-denials/) - By Kelly Gooch, Beckers Hospital Review. A recent investigation by the U.S. Office of Inspector General found between 2014 and 2016, Medicare Advantage organizations overturned 75 percent of their preauthorization and payment denials upon appeal. The OIG's report, released in September, found Medicare Advantage organizations overturned about 216,000 denials annually during the period. Investigators also found that
- [Costly Confusion - Medicare’s Wellness Visit Isn’t The Same As An Annual Physical](https://www.americanpatient.org/costly-confusion-medicares-wellness-visit-isnt-the-same-as-an-annual-physical/) - Medicare does not cover an annual physical exam and patients who get them may be on the hook for the entire amount. When Beverly Dunn called her new primary care doctor’s office last November to schedule an annual checkup, she assumed her Medicare coverage would pick up most of the tab. By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser
- [For Medicare Patients, Costs of MS Drugs Rise Sevenfold Over 10 Years](https://www.americanpatient.org/for-medicare-patients-costs-of-ms-drugs-rise-sevenfold-over-10-years/) - By Amy Norton, U.S. News. Medicare patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) saw their medication costs soar by more than sevenfold over a decade, a new study finds. It's no secret that the costs of MS drugs have skyrocketed in recent years. When the first so-called disease-modifying drugs were approved starting in the 1990s, they cost
- [The Problem with Medicare Advantage](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-problem-with-medicare-advantage/) - Medicare’s Private Option Is Gaining Popularity, and Critics. As more Americans sign up for Medicare Advantage, detractors worry that it’s helping private insurers more than patients. When Ed Stein signed up for Medicare eight years ago, the insurance choice seemed like a no-brainer. By Mark Miller, The New York Times. Mr. Stein, a Denver retiree,
- [Where to Get Free Impartial Advice About Medicare Health Insurance](https://www.americanpatient.org/where-to-get-free-impartial-advice-about-health-insurance/) - Take advantage of your state's one-on-one counseling program If you have a complicated question about Medicare, or just want some help talking through your options, you should take advantage of the free one-on-one counseling available through your state's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). These federally funded programs are not connected to any insurance company
- [Humana Inc. Overcharged Medicare Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/humana-inc-overcharged-medicare-nearly-200-million-federal-audit-finds/) - Article Summary: Humana has overstated the severity of illness of some patients and has overcharged Medicare in a recent OIG audit finding. By Fred Schulte, NPR. A Humana Inc. health plan for seniors in Florida improperly collected nearly $200 million in 2015 by overstating how sick some patients were, according to a new federal audit,
- [Under New Cost-Cutting Medicare Rule, Same Surgery, Same Place, Different Bill](https://www.americanpatient.org/under-new-cost-cutting-medicare-rule-same-surgery-same-place-different-bill/) - Article Summary: A cost-cutting change in Medicare policy will reduce payments to hospitals for some surgical procedures and increase costs for patients. By Susan Jaffe, KHN. A cost-saving change in Medicare launched in the final days of the Trump administration will cut payments to hospitals for some surgical procedures while potentially raising costs and confusion
- [Researcher: Medicare Advantage Plans Costing Billions More Than They Should](https://www.americanpatient.org/researcher-medicare-advantage-plans-costing-billions-more-than-they-should/) - Article Summary: Medicare Advantage Plans have caused an increase in cost to taxpayers because of the way they have been charging sicker patients. By Fred Schulte, KHN. Switching seniors to Medicare Advantage plans has cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more than keeping them in original Medicare, a cost that has exploded since 2018
- [Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging](https://www.americanpatient.org/government-watchdogs-attack-medicare-advantage-for-denying-care-and-overcharging/) - Article Summary: Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year. By Fred Schulte, KHN. Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government
- [Which to Choose: Medicare or Medicare Advantage?](https://www.americanpatient.org/which-to-choose-medicare-or-medicare-advantage/) - By Paula Span, The New York Times. It’s open enrollment season again. From now through Dec. 7, about 65 million Americans are facing the annual question of which Medicare options will give them the best health coverage. An onslaught of television and radio ads, emailed promotions, texts and mailers serve as reminders, though not necessarily
- [Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors — But Not Hospitals and Doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-advantage-increasingly-popular-with-seniors-but-not-hospitals-and-doctors/) - Julie Appleby, KFF Health News. A hospital system in Georgia. Two medical groups in San Diego. Another in Louisville, Kentucky, and nearly one-third of Nebraska hospitals. Across the country, health care providers are refusing to accept some Medicare Advantage plans — even as the coverage offered by commercial insurers increasingly displaces the traditional government program
- [Drug Plan Prices Touted During Open Enrollment Can Rise Within a Month](https://www.americanpatient.org/drug-plan-prices-touted-during-open-enrollment-can-rise-within-a-month/) - Byline credit: Susan Jaffe, KHN. Article Summary: Drug plan prices touted during Medicare open enrollment fluctuate a lot making it unaffordable for patients. By Susan Jaffe Something strange happened between the time Linda Griffith signed up for a new Medicare prescription drug plan during last fall’s enrollment period and when she tried to fill her
- [Some Covered California Patients Say They Can’t See A Doctor](https://www.americanpatient.org/some-covered-california-patients-say-they-cant-see-a-doctor/) - Consumerwatch, MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX 5). While open enrollment for coverage under the Affordable Care Act is closed, many of the newly insured are finding they can’t find doctors, landing them into a state described as “medical homelessness.” Rotacare, a free clinic for the uninsured in Mountain View, is dealing with the problem firsthand. Mirella Nguyen
- [Despite Health Law’s Protections, Many Consumers May Be 'Underinsured'](https://www.americanpatient.org/despite-health-laws-protections-many-consumers-may-be-underinsured/) - By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News. People with chronic conditions will be better protected from crippling medical bills starting in January as the health law’s coverage requirements and spending limits take effect. But a recent analysis by Avalere Health found that many may still find themselves “underinsured,” spending more than 10 percent of their income
- [Claims Denials and Appeals in ACA Marketplace Plans](https://www.americanpatient.org/claims-denials-and-appeals-in-aca-marketplace-plans/) - By Karen Pollitz, Cynthia Cox Follow and Rachel Fehr, for KFF - Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. . In this report, we analyze transparency data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to examine claims denials and appeals among issuers offering individual market coverage on healthcare.gov from 2015-2017. We find that, across issuers with complete
- [Avoid These 8 Types of Health Plans, 30 Patient Organizations Say](https://www.americanpatient.org/avoid-these-8-types-of-health-insurance-plans-30-patient-organizations-say/) - Article Summary: This article lists non-compliant plans that do not adhere to the protections mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Thirty organizations representing patients and consumers issued a report urging people to avoid eight different health plans that don't have to follow ACA regulations. The organizations — which include the American Heart Association, American Lung
- [Preventive Care May Be Free, but Follow-Up Diagnostic Tests Can Bring Big Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/preventive-care-may-be-free-but-follow-up-diagnostic-tests-can-bring-big-bills/) - Article Summary: Preventive screenings like mammograms may be free, but follow-up tests can be expensive to patients seeking further treatments. By Michelle Andrews, KHN. When Cynthia Johnson learned she would owe $200 out-of-pocket for a diagnostic mammogram in Houston, she almost put off getting the test that told her she had breast cancer. “I thought,
- [Patients Suffer As Insurers And Big Health Systems Spar For Market Share ](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-suffer-as-insurers-and-big-health-systems-spar-for-market-share/) - Contract disputes between insurers and medical providers are causing uncertainty and disruption among patients. By Barbara Feder Ostrov, Kaiser Health News. David Lerman, a lawyer in Berkeley, Calif., changed health plans this year, only to learn that his new insurer has no contract with the main medical provider in his community. Anthem Blue Cross of California,
- [Employer Health Insurance Is Increasingly Unaffordable, Study Finds ](https://www.americanpatient.org/employer-health-insurance-is-increasingly-unaffordable-study-finds/) - By Reed Abelson, The New York Times Jessie McCormick had to quit her job to afford health care. Ms. McCormick, 27, who has a heart condition, had an opportunity to move from part time to full time in her job at a small nonprofit in Washington. Working full time would qualify her for the firm’s
- [Needy Patients ‘Caught In The Middle’ As Insurance Titan Drops Doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/needy-patients-caught-in-the-middle-as-insurance-titan-drops-doctors/) - By Phil Galewitz, KHN. For five years, Rasha Salama has taken her two children to Dr. Inas Wassef, a pediatrician a few blocks from her home in this blue-collar town across the bay from New York City. Salama likes the doctor because Wassef speaks her native language — Arabic — and has office hours at
- [Patients Get Stranded Out of Network as Insurer-Hospital Contract Talks Fall Apart](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-get-stranded-out-of-network-as-insurer-hospital-contract-talks-fall-apart/) - Article Summary: Patients are getting stuck out-of-network due to rifts between insurers and hospitals. By Andy Miller, KHN. In September, when Shelly Azzopardi went to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with abdominal pain, she didn’t worry about her insurance. Doctors said she had a case of appendicitis. But she also tested positive at the hospital in Marietta,
- [Protecting the Privacy and Security of Your Health Information.](https://www.americanpatient.org/protecting-your-privacy-security/) - The privacy and security of patient health information is a top priority for patients and their families, health care providers and professionals, and the government. Federal laws require many of the key persons and organizations that handle health information to have policies and security safeguards in place to protect your health information — whether it
- [Plan Your Lifespan](https://www.americanpatient.org/plan-your-lifespan/) - No one knows what their future health holds, but every­one wants to have their voice heard through­out their lifespan. This website will help you plan for health events such as hos­pital­izations, falls, and memory loss that may happen as people get older. This plan­ning differs from end-of-life care and wills. Plan Your Lifespan
- [An Article in the Federal Government's Library of Medicine Confirms the Harm Being Done by Medical Errors](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-federal-government-confirms-the-harm-being-done-by-medical-errors/) - An article, in the National Library of Medicine reveals the extent of the patient safety problem and the harm that is occurring. [pmpro_levels]
- [Can You Leave A Hospital At Any Time](https://www.americanpatient.org/can-you-leave-a-hospital-at-anytime/) - How to Make an Informed Choice. Most of the time, doctors and patients will agree when it is time to be discharged from the hospital. However, there are circumstances when there may be disagreement. In cases where a patient decides to leave against the doctor's recommendations, the case will be labeled a discharge "against medical
- [Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized For Being Unsafe?](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-list-of-hospitals-facing-2021-penalties-for-harming-patients/) - On any given day, one in every 31 hospital patients has an infection that was contracted during their stay, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections and other complications can prolong hospital stays, complicate treatments and, in the worst instances, kill patients. The HAC program, which launched in October 2014, evaluates hospitals
- [When Can a Doctor Fire a Patient](https://www.americanpatient.org/when-a-doctor-can-fire-a-patient/) - The American Medical Association has established guidelines regarding when a doctor may fire a patient, based on its Code of Ethics. In addition, many states have laws about the circumstances under which a doctor may terminate a patient relationship. By Trisha Torrey, Reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD. From Verywell Health. Among the reasons a doctor may dismiss
- [When Can a Parent Deny Medical Treatment for a Minor Child?](https://www.americanpatient.org/when-can-a-parent-deny-medical-treatment-to-a-minor-child/) - Every day parents face difficult medical decisions regarding their minor children. For example, parents need to decide when to seek medical care and treatment for their sick child or whether or not to vaccinate a healthy child. What seems like an easy decision for one parent is often a difficult decision for another parent. Each parent draws
- [AHA Patient's Bill of Rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/aha-patients-bill-of-rights/) - The AHA Patient's Bill of Rights is only a guideline for hospitals. Americans have few legal patient rights. From the American Hospital Association: A Patient's Bill of Rights was first adopted by the American Hospital Association in 1973. This revision was approved by the AHA Board of Trustees on October 21, 1992. Introduction Effective health
- [Baylor Medical Center Plano TX Faces Another Malpractice Suit](https://www.americanpatient.org/baylor-medical-center-plano-tx-faces-another-malpractice-suit/) - Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is accused in a series of lawsuits of allowing an allegedly dangerous surgeon to continue operating, putting patients at risk. A fourth malpractice lawsuit has been filed in federal court against Baylor Medical Center Plano and suspended neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of former Baylor Plano
- [Find Out If Your Doctor Is "On The Take"](https://www.americanpatient.org/know-more-about-your-doctor/) - A wealth of data from across the U.S. about how medicine is really practiced has been accumulated. Get to know your health care provider better. Vital Signs. By Sisi Wei, ProPublica. Drug and Device Company Payments Learn if your doctor is taking payments from drug or medical device companies. Between August 2013 and December 2015
- [Patients Are Unaware That:](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-are-unaware-that/) - Most patients are unaware that: 1) Hospital medical errors are the third leading cause of death, killing up to 440,000 people a year. Approximately 25,000 hospital patients are harmed every day; 2) Patient safety in hospitals is a problem that has grown much worse since the pandemic; 3) Medical errors happen at all hospitals every day; 4) Approximately
- [An $80,000 surprise bill points to a loophole in a new law to protect patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/an-80000-surprise-bill-points-to-a-loophole-in-a-new-law-to-protect-patients/) - Article Summary: An insurer refused to pay bills related to the premature birth of the Bull family's twins because it said their delivery wasn't an emergency and their stays in the NICU weren't medically necessary. When Greg and Sugar Bull were ready to start a family, health challenges necessitated that they work with a gestational
- [Nearly half of pediatric opioid prescriptions are high risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/nearly-half-of-pediatric-opioid-prescriptions-are-high-risk/) - Article Summary: Nearly 12% of opioid prescriptions dispensed to adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years were also considered high risk because they exceeded recommended daily dosages of opioids. By Katie Adams, Becker’s Hospital Review, Aug 16, 2021. Of the more than 4 million opioid prescriptions written for children and young adults under
- [Why the US healthcare system ranks last among 11 wealthy countries](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-the-us-healthcare-system-ranks-last-among-11-wealthy-countries/) - By Katie Adams, Becker’s Hospital Review, August 4th, 2021. The performance of the U.S. healthcare system ranked last among 11 high-income countries, according to a report released Aug. 4 by the Commonwealth Fund. To compare the performance of the healthcare systems in 11 high-income countries, the Commonwealth Fund analyzed 71 performance measures across five domains:
- [Enough to Wreck Their Rest: $10,322 for a Sleep Study](https://www.americanpatient.org/enough-to-wreck-their-rest-10322-for-a-sleep-study/) - Article Summary: The University of Miami Health System charged truck driver José Mendoza six times what Medicare would pay for an overnight test. He got trapped by his high-deductible health plan and sky-high billing. By Michelle Andrews, KHN, May 27, 2021. José Mendoza’s snoring was bad — but the silence when he stopped breathing was
- [Jaw Surgery Takes a $27,119 Bite out of One Man’s Budget](https://www.americanpatient.org/jaw-surgery-takes-a-27119-bite-out-of-one-mans-budget/) - Article Summary: A Seattle patient discovers the hard way that you can still hit a lifetime limit for certain types of care. And health plans can vary a lot from one job to the next, even if the insurer is the same. By Phil Galewitz, KHN, Aug 27, 2021 For years, Ely Bair dealt with
- [Patients Can Get Medical Record Errors Amended, but It's Not Easy](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-can-get-medical-record-errors-amended-but-its-not-easy/) - Technology is lacking, process may be unclear by Cheryl Clark, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today, September 14, 2021. Changing a medical record to correct an error is anything but an easy process. Under federal HIPAA rules, patients have the right to request that doctors fix errors, but the provider has up to 60 days to respond,
- [How America's Top Hospitals Hound Patients With Predatory Billing](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-americas-top-hospitals-hound-patients-with-predatory-billing/) - From worldhealth.net as reported by Michelle McGhee and Will Chase on Axios, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University. June 14, 2021. According to a recent report published on Axios, a new analysis reveals that many of the top hospitals in America pursue patients with lawsuits and other predatory billing practices In February 2018, Stephen Swett
- [How to make sure your COVID test isn't fake](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-make-sure-your-covid-test-isnt-fake/) - Finding an at-home COVID-19 test is tricky at the moment, and fraudulent tests are now making the rounds. Here's how to spot a fake. By Kim Wong-Shing, CNET, Jan. 13, 2022. The beginning of 2022 has felt a lot like March 2020 in some ways -- but instead of scrambling to find a face mask,
- [How to Find a Quality Mask (and Avoid Counterfeits)](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-find-a-quality-mask-and-avoid-counterfeits/) - Knowing which mask to pick and making sure it’s not a fake requires the sleuthing skills of a forensic investigator. Our guide can help. By Tara Parker-Pope, Jan. 14, 2022. The New York Times. The fast-spread of the infectious Omicron variant has prompted many people to try to upgrade to a higher-quality mask. But that’s
- [The hidden epidemic: Medical errors are the leading cause of death in the U.S.](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-hidden-epidemic-medical-errors-are-the-leading-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s/) - I’ve got a friend, I’ll call him George, who, for several months, experienced an intense pain on his side. Turned out to be a kidney stone. George had dealt with them before and passed each one, with varying degrees of discomfort. But this time, no such luck. By Rosette Royale, Contributing Writer, Street Roots, Mar. 28
- [Medi-Cal Patients Struggle to Fill Prescriptions - ‘Somebody Is Gonna Die’](https://www.americanpatient.org/medi-cal-patients-struggle-to-fill-prescriptions-somebody-is-gonna-die/) - Article Summary: Problems with California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program is preventing thousands of patients from getting their medications. By Samantha Young, KHN, Feb 09, 2022. A month into its debut, California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program is riddled with problems, leaving thousands of patients without medications — often after languishing on hold for up
- [Health Care Paradox: Medicare Penalizes Dozens of Hospitals It Also Gives Five Stars](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-care-paradox-medicare-penalizes-dozens-of-hospitals-it-also-gives-five-stars/) - By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News, February 8, 2022. . The federal government has penalized 764 hospitals — including more than three dozen it simultaneously rates as among the best in the country — for having the highest numbers of patient infections and potentially avoidable complications. The penalties — a 1% reduction in Medicare payments
- [These machines to help people breathe were recalled. Many still use them.](https://www.americanpatient.org/these-machines-to-help-people-breathe-were-recalled-a-year-ago-many-still-use-them/) - Article Summary: Patients are still using recalled Philips Respironics BiPAP and CPAP machines as they still have months to go before a potential replacement will be available. By Emily Alpert Reyes, LA Times, Jun 23, 2022. In Rochester, N.Y., Diane Coleman has relied on a machine to help her stay alive, but she worries that
- [It's Dangerous To Get Sick In America](https://www.americanpatient.org/its-dangerous-to-get-sick-in-america/) - By APRA. The American medical system is mainly controlled by large corporations with a single goal: to earn a profit. One of the ways they earn profits is through the ownership of hospitals, where patient safety is neither a priority nor a legal requirement and there is no transparency or price controls. Hospitals often earn money when they treat complications that result from
- [Samples of Popular Diabetes Drug Contain Potential Carcinogen, F.D.A. Says](https://www.americanpatient.org/samples-of-popular-diabetes-drug-contain-potential-carcinogen-f-d-a-says/) - Article Summary: A popular cancer drug has been identified to contain traces of a potential carcinogen called nitrosamine in some samples tested. By Andrew Jacobs, NY Times, Aug 11, 2022. The Food and Drug Administration said that traces of a potential carcinogen had been found in samples of a popular diabetes drug produced by Merck,
- [Patient Resources](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-resources/) - Right Care Alliance -The Right Care Alliance (RCA) is a grassroots coalition of clinicians, patients, and community members organizing to make health care institutions accountable to communities and put patients, not profits, at the heart of health care. [pmpro_levels]
- [Did your doctor make a mistake? Suing medical providers in Florida is easy, winning isn’t](https://www.americanpatient.org/did-your-doctor-make-a-mistake-suing-medical-providers-in-florida-is-easy-winning-isnt/) - By Cindy Krischer Goodman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Nov 21, 2022. Your mammogram showed you had breast cancer but no one caught it. Your doctor botched your surgery because he himself was ill, or the hospital staff gave you the wrong medication and it led to a disability. There are lots of reasons Floridians want to
- [US spends most on health care but continues to have worst health outcomes among high-income countries, new report finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/us-spends-most-on-health-care-but-has-worst-health-outcomes-among-high-income-countries-new-report-finds/) - By Jacqueline Howard, CNN, January 31, 2023. Healthcare costs are climbing and Americans are struggling to pay The United States spends more on health care than any other high-income country but still has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with multiple chronic diseases, according to a new report from
- [Unnecessary hospital tests and procedures put hundreds of thousands at risk, new analysis reveals](https://www.americanpatient.org/unnecessary-hospital-tests-and-procedures-put-hundreds-of-thousands-at-risk-new-analysis-reveals/) - By Aaron Toleos, May 4, 2021. U.S. hospital ranking identifies best and worst hospitals at avoiding overuse of hysterectomy, coronary stents, back surgery, and more BROOKLINE, Mass. — Every 80 seconds, a hospital in the U.S. delivers a low-value test or procedure to an older adult, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of harm, according
- [Dangerous Medical Tests and Procedures You May Want to Avoid](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-tests-to-avoid-that-may-endanger-your-health/) - By the time you hit 50, you’re probably familiar with some aches and pains as well as medical advice from well-meaning loved ones. But completing test after test isn’t always the best way to stay healthy. The following medical procedures may be unnecessary — and even dangerous — if you’re over 50. Most importantly, consult
- [A DOCTOR’S DECEPTION](https://www.americanpatient.org/8753-2/) - For 30 years, Paul Shuen was one of the city’s most respected obstetricians. Then his nurses noticed something unusual about the way he delivered babies. A story of greed, betrayal and medical misconduct. The labor and delivery nurses were suspicious. Five pregnant women, all in rapid labor, arrived at the North York General Hospital triage
- [CLEAR Rule 14 Patient Bill of Rights and Federal Regulations VIOLATION](https://www.americanpatient.org/clear-rule-14-patient-bill-of-rights-and-federal-regulations-violation/) - I was threatened with discharge if I went outside in the wheel chair or left the floor. Which clearly violated the Patient Bill of Rights posted on their wall in the hallway on the floor of the wing I am currently admitted to for a severe motorcycle accident where my pelvic bone had to be
- [Healthcare Is Causing Patients to Have PTSD](https://www.americanpatient.org/healthcare-is-causing-patients-to-have-ptsd/) - "Medical PTSD" is conventionally thought to be a thing that happens to those "suddenly" struck by a stroke, or a car accident. An acute incident, or only as chronic as curable cancer. It seems more sensible to call that "trauma" until it has been processed. As a nation, we are really bad as processing things
- [Our Broken Medical System Threatens Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/our-broken-medical-system/) - Our profit-driven healthcare system is broken and your life, as well as your savings, are at risk. Unexpected medical bills, such as from out-of-network doctors who people thought were in-network, visits to the ER, hospital stays, or ambulance rides are resulting in over 500,000 people a year declaring bankruptcy (62% of all bankruptcies*). One in five
- [Oncologist fires Stage 4 Cancer Patient](https://www.americanpatient.org/oncologist-fires-stage-4-cancer-patient/) - My wife is a stage 4 cancer patient in active chemo treatments. We see our oncologist regularly and have had no lapse of insurance. Today we received a certified letter in the mail from the cancer center stating we are no longer able to see any doctors at this clinic. We have 30 days to
- [Are You Being Admitted into a Hospital? Do This to Protect Yourself.](https://www.americanpatient.org/this-inexpensive-action-lowers-hospital-infections-and-protects-against-flu-season/) - This inexpensive action lowers hospital infections and protects against flu season. Harvard Medical School graduate and lecturer, Stephanie Taylor, is something of an Indiana Jones of medicine. She’s a determined scientist who can’t seem to sit still. Along with a resume full of accolades and publications, she’s a skydiver with 1,200 jumps. She solves haunting
- [Forms to Help You Protect Your Medical Privacy](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-you-can-do-to-help-protect-your-medical-privacy/) - Download the following forms to help protect your health privacy. Consent Form : To give to all providers, including health professionals, hospitals, labs, and pharmacies. Ask them not to disclose your health data without your consent. You have a right to request restrictions on data disclosures; however, providers CAN refuse and disclose your records for treatment, payment,
- [Consent Issues During A Pandemic: What If A Patient Refuses COVID-19 Testing](https://www.americanpatient.org/consent-issues-during-a-pandemic-what-if-a-patient-refuses-covid-19-testing/) - By SmithAmundsen. The United States has tested 3.2 million people for COVID-19, which is only about one percent of the population. It should come as no surprise that not every person who is ill is tested. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued written guidance on March 24, 2020, prioritizing testing for patients with
- [COVID Related Medication Errors Reported](https://www.americanpatient.org/covid-related-medication-errors-reported/) - By Maia Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review, May 14, 2020. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit watchdog for prescription drug safety, on May 14 published a list of medication errors reported by hospitals related to treating COVID-19 patients. Five medication errors: Hard-to-read remdesivir labeling Remdesivir vials aren't clearly labeled, and the information on the
- [COVID Infected ER Doctor Tests Negative 3 Times](https://www.americanpatient.org/infected-er-doctor-tests-negative-for-covid-three-times/) - By Peter Hunt, for APRA, Aug. 12, 2020. Working on the front lines as an emergency room doctor, it isn’t a matter of if you will become infected with COVID but when. An ER physician at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford Florida had a slight fever on and off for a week. Fearing COVID,
- [COVID Catch-22: They Got A Big ER Bill Because Hospitals Couldn’t Test For Virus](https://www.americanpatient.org/covid-catch-22-they-got-a-big-er-bill-because-hospitals-couldnt-test-for-virus/) - Article Summary: People with COVID-19 symptoms in March and April were often billed for expensive scans and bloodwork because they didn't qualify due to strict testing criteria. By Julie Appleby, KHN, Jul 07, 2020. Fresh off a Caribbean cruise in early March, John Campbell developed a cough and fever of 104 degrees. He went to
- [Patients at Risk Amid COVID Surge As Hospitals Hesitate To Cancel Non-emergency Surgeries](https://www.americanpatient.org/amid-covid-surge-hospitals-hesitate-to-cancel-non-emergency-surgeries/) - Article Summary: Most hospitals are not proactively canceling elective surgeries, even in places seeing spikes in coronavirus cases, risking patient safety. By Samantha Young, KHN, Jul 09, 2020. Three months ago, the nation watched as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed New York City’s intensive care units, forcing some of its hospitals to convert cafeterias into wards and
- [Lilly Plant Making Covid Therapy Drug Flagged Again by Inspectors](https://www.americanpatient.org/lilly-plant-making-covid-drug-flagged-again-by-inspectors/) - By Anna Edney, Bloomberg, Oct 20, 2020. U.S. drug-safety inspectors have found continuing quality-control problems at a New Jersey plant Eli Lilly & Co. is using to help produce its Covid-19 antibody therapy, posing a potential obstacle to the company meeting its goal of producing 1 million doses by year-end. In an Oct. 2 memo,
- [COVID Vaccines Are Supposed to Be Free. Surprise Bills Could Happen Anyway.](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-vaccines-are-supposed-to-be-free-surprise-bills-could-happen-anyway/) - “It is the American health care system, so there are bound to be loopholes.” By Sarah Kliff, The New York Times, Dec. 17, 2020. When Americans receive a coronavirus vaccine, federal rules say they shouldn’t have to pay anything out of pocket. Congress passed legislation this spring that bars insurers from applying any cost-sharing, such as
- [COVID-19 Is Far More Lethal, Damaging Than Flu, Data Shows](https://www.americanpatient.org/covid-19-is-far-more-lethal-damaging-than-flu-data-shows/) - By Robert Preidt, Healthday News, Dec. 18, 2020. Researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data on more than 3,600 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between Feb. 1 and June 17 of this year, and more than 12,600 hospitalized with the flu between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2019. The average age of patients in
- [Can A Patient Refuse COVID-19 Testing](https://www.americanpatient.org/can-a-patient-refuse-covid-19-testing/) - By SmithAmundsen LLC, Apr. 21, 2020. The United States has tested 3.2 million people for COVID-19, which is only about one percent of the population. It should come as no surprise that not every person who is ill is tested. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued written guidance on March 24, 2020,
- [To Vax or Not to Vax - A COVID Quiz for Anti-Vaxxers and Hesitators](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-american-patient-rights-association-releases-a-covid-quiz-for-anti-vaxxers-and-hesitators/) - MOUNT DORA, Fla. May 20, 2021 - A lot of misinformation has been circulated about the COVID-19 vaccine. To convince people who are hesitating or refusing to get vaccinated, the American Patient Rights Association, a nonprofit membership organization established by patients to help people pay less for and avoid being harmed by their medical treatment,
- [Dr. Mercola Received Warning Letter From the FDA Over False and Misleading COVID Information](https://www.americanpatient.org/dr-mercola-issued-a-warning-letter-by-the-fda-over-covid/) - Mercola.com, LLC MARCS-CMS 607133 — FEBRUARY 18, 2021 Recipient: Dr. Joseph M. Mercola, DO Mercola.com, LLC Issuing Office: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) United States WARNING LETTER Date: February 18, 2021 RE: Unapproved and Misbranded Products Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) This is to advise you that the United States
- [Covid Medical Bills Are About to Get Bigger](https://www.americanpatient.org/covid-medical-bills-are-about-to-get-bigger/) - By Sarah Kliff, The New York Times, Updated Sep 09, 2021. Americans will most likely pay significantly more for Covid medical care during this new wave of cases — whether that’s a routine coronavirus test or a lengthy hospitalization. Earlier in the pandemic, most major health insurers voluntarily waived costs associated with a Covid treatment.
- [Fraudulent COVID Products](https://www.americanpatient.org/fraudulent-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-products/) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing warning letters to firms for selling fraudulent products with claims to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose or cure COVID. They are actively monitoring for any firms marketing products with fraudulent COVID-19 prevention and treatment claims. The FDA is exercising its authority to protect consumers from firms selling unapproved
- [COVID-19 Reveals Hospitalists Hired to Admit More Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/covid-19-reveals-hospitalists-hired-to-increase-profits-by-admitting-more-patients/) - The hospital census calm before the COVID-19 storm. By STEVE M. GRANT, MD, MARCH 22, 2020. From Kevinmd.com. Ed. - Adapted for APRA. As COVID-19 hits, we’re rightfully terrified our hospitals will be overrun, as they have been in China, Italy, and Seattle. And to be clear, they will. But in these early days, my hospital
- [Cancer Patients Face Treatment Delays And Uncertainty As Coronavirus Cripples Hospitals](https://www.americanpatient.org/cancer-patients-face-treatment-delays-and-uncertainty-as-coronavirus-cripples-hospitals/) - By Will Stone, KHN, Apr 07, 2020. The federal government has encouraged health centers to delay nonessential surgeries while weighing the severity of patients’ conditions and the availability of personal protective equipment, beds and staffing at hospitals. People with cancer are among those at high risk of complications if infected with the new coronavirus. It’s
- [Furor Erupts As Billions Going To Hospitals Based On Medicare Billings, Not COVID-19](https://www.americanpatient.org/furor-erupts-billions-going-to-hospitals-based-on-medicare-billings-not-covid-19/) - By Jay Hancock and Phil Galewitz and Elizabeth Lucas, KHN, Apr 10, 2020. Probably few hospital systems need the emergency federal grants announced this week to handle the coronavirus crisis as badly as Florida’s Jackson Health does. Miami, its base of operations, is the worst COVID-19 hot spot in one of the most severely hit
- [University of Miami settles 3 suits alleging fraudulent billing, unnecessary lab tests for $22M](https://www.americanpatient.org/university-of-miami-settles-3-suits-alleging-fraudulent-billing-unnecessary-lab-tests-for-22m/) - By Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare, May 12, 2021. Article Summary: University of Miami has agreed to pay $22M to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by ordering medically unnecessary laboratory tests and submitting false claims. The University of Miami has agreed to settle three whistleblower lawsuits alleging fraudulent billing and medically unnecessary
- [Why medication errors continue to harm patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-medication-errors-continue-to-harm-patients/) - A mix of flawed systems and complacency have resulted in patient harm, experts say. By Wendy Ruderman, The Philidelphia Inquirer, Nov. 15, 2023. Six years ago, a nurse at a Tennessee hospital accidentally gave a patient a powerful muscle-paralyzing drug. The patient stopped breathing and later died. The nurse, RaDonda Vaught, was convicted of negligent
- [Medicare Fines Half of Hospitals for Readmitting Too Many Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-fines-half-of-hospitals-for-readmitting-too-many-patients/) - By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News, Nov. 02, 2020. Nearly half the nation’s hospitals, many of which are still wrestling with the financial fallout of the unexpected coronavirus, will get lower payments for all Medicare patients because of their history of readmitting patients, federal records show. The penalties are the ninth annual round of the
- [Dental Patients right to know](https://www.americanpatient.org/dental-patients-right-to-know/) - Dentist are buying cheap crowns, dentures and implants from China and inserting them into their patients mouths. Patients do know and this is unethical and an unfair business practice all to make more money. Patients need the choice to have the work done statewide with FDA approved materials or in China where there is no
- [Quarter of Hospitals Fail to Comply with Medical Errors Policy](https://www.americanpatient.org/quarter-of-hospitals-fail-to-comply-with-leapfrogs-never-event-policy/) - By MARIA CASTELLUCCI, Modern Healthcare, June 28, 2019. About a quarter of hospitals fail to meet the Leapfrog Group's standards in addressing serious patient harm events should they occur, according to a new report. The analysis, published Thursday, found 74.5% of the more than 2,000 hospitals that received a patient-safety grade from the Leapfrog Group in
- [How to Look Up Prices at Your Hospital, if They Exist](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-look-up-prices-at-your-hospital-if-they-exist-2/) - This year, some Americans can do something that was previously impossible: look up the price of care before going to the hospital. A new federal rule requires hospitals to post the prices they negotiate with private insurers. The data is a rich source of new information. We used it to show that some insurers are
- [Human being](https://www.americanpatient.org/human-being/) - I was born with a genetic mutation in my bone marrow that caused Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. At 2 years old I had polio that caused severe scoliosis. 60 degree curve in my thoracic and 80 degree curve in my lumbar. I have lost 10 cm from shoulder to pelvis. My ribs are now below
- [My Dad died twice at BH Corbin](https://www.americanpatient.org/my-dad-died-twice-at-bh-corbin/) - A patient mixup led them to tell us my dad died and within 24 hours he died for real with a dnr order placed that he did not consent to.
- [Hospitals don't care](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-dont-care/) - I have tried to get the answers to the questions about my wife’s case but it is apparent no one at the hospital cares at all. I did not think I could have less respect and trust in the hospital but I can. I have included a copy of a letter my daughter had written.
- [Harm by Colonoscopy](https://www.americanpatient.org/harm-by-colonoscopy/) - Despite the doctors at the hospital knowing that my husband had chronic heart disease, 3rd stage kidney disease, peripheral artery disease, septicemia, and type 2 diabetes they performed a colonoscopy on this 85-year-old man. Despite documenting that if cancer was found, given his incurable serious medical problems, he would be unable to avail himself of
- [Dr Margareth Lobo $41,000 surgery - bone not fixed and a medical screw in the middle of my joint](https://www.americanpatient.org/dr-margareth-lobo-41000-surgery-bone-not-fixed-and-a-medical-screw-in-the-middle-of-my-joint/) - In October 2020, I broke my heel in multiple pieces in a car accident. I was then taken to Lahey Hospital in Burlington/MA. Surgery was recommended by Dr Margareth Lobo, plates and screws would be placed to join the pieces and reposition my bone. I agreed with her treatment, and after 21 days she did
- [U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes](https://www.americanpatient.org/u-s-health-care-from-a-global-perspective-2019-higher-spending-worse-outcomes/) - The U.S. spends more on health care than any other high-income country but has the lowest life expectancy. The U.S. has the highest suicide rate among wealthy nations. By Roosa Tikkanen and Melinda K. Abrams, The Commonwealth Fund, Jan. 30, 2020. A 2015 Commonwealth Fund brief showed that — before the major provisions of the
- [Patient Rights in the American Healthcare System](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-rights-in-the-american-healthcare-system/) - By Trisha Torrey, from Verywellhealth. What rights do American patients have as they navigate through the American healthcare system? You have rights that are granted and enforced by law, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). You also have rights that stem from the ethical practice of medicine and basic human rights.
- [Secret Doctor Referral System Dangerous and Costly for Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-hidden-system-that-explains-how-your-doctor-makes-referrals/) - By Matt Stanley, Anna Wilde Mathews and Melanie Evans, For the Wall Street Journal. More primary-care doctors work directly for hospitals, and they are being pushed to keep lucrative referrals in-house. Phoebe Putney Health System doesn’t want its doctors to send business to competitors. If they do, Phoebe makes sure their bosses know about it.
- [Medical Debt Is Being Erased in Ohio and Illinois. Is Your Town Next?](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-debt-is-being-erased-in-ohio-and-illinois-is-your-town-next/) - Cook County, Ill., and Toledo, Ohio, are turning to the American Rescue Plan to wipe out residents’ medical debt. Officials in Toledo, Ohio, and other U.S. cities are finalizing plans to create programs for paying off the medical debt of eligible residents. The movement is part of a new strategy to address the high cost
- [APRA Joins National Patient Safety Board Coalition](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-joins-national-patient-safety-board-coalition/) - Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. APRA has joined a coalition of 75 (and growing) organizations that are advancing the call to expeditiously form a new independent federal agency, the National Patient Safety Board (NPSB), to model aspects of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Commercial Aviation Safety Team within health care. The NPSB would improve
- [Is Your Doctor Banned From Practicing in Other States?](https://www.americanpatient.org/is-your-doctor-banned-from-practicing-in-other-states/) - State Licensing System Keeps Patients, Hospitals and Regulators in the Dark Like traveling medicine hucksters of old, doctors who run into trouble today can hopscotch from state to state, staying ahead of regulators. Instead of snake oil, some peddle opioids. Others have sex with patients, bungle surgeries, misdiagnose conditions, or are implicated in patient deaths.
- [Doctors Confess Their Fatal Mistakes](https://www.americanpatient.org/doctors-confess-their-fatal-mistakes/) - Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists hold your life in their hands. Here, their shocking stories of what can go wrong—and what has to improve to keep us safe. "It was more than 20 years ago, but it still haunts me," says Bryan E. Bledsoe, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of Nevada School
- [Medicare Surprise: Drug Plan Prices Touted During Open Enrollment Can Rise Within a Month](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-surprise-drug-plan-prices-touted-during-open-enrollment-can-rise-within-a-month/) - Article Summary: Drug plan prices touted during Medicare open enrollment fluctuate a lot making it unaffordable for patients By Susan Jaffe, KHN, May 03, 2022. Something strange happened between the time Linda Griffith signed up for a new Medicare prescription drug plan during last fall’s enrollment period and when she tried to fill her first
- [Why So Slow? Legislators Take on Insurers’ Delays in Approving Prescribed Treatments](https://www.americanpatient.org/59481-2/) - Article Summary: The frequently long waits for insurance prior approvals frustrate doctors and patients needing treatment. By Michelle Andrews, KHN, May 17, 2022. Andrew Bade, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nearly two decades ago, is accustomed to all the medical gear he needs to keep his blood sugar under control. His insulin pump
- [The $18,000 Breast Biopsy When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-18000-breast-biopsy-when-having-insurance-costs-you-a-bundle/) - Article Summary: High medical bills are preventing patients from getting basic medical tests that could potentially detect cancer and other serious illnesses. By Lauren Sausser, KHN, Aug 23, 2022. When Dani Yuengling felt a lump in her right breast last summer, she tried to ignore it. She was 35, the same age her mother had
- [Do Cancer Centers Push Too Many Tests](https://www.americanpatient.org/59472-2/) - Article Summary: Studies found that centers provided incomplete or unbalanced information, which could lead to unnecessary screenings and health complications in older adults. By Andrew Jacobs, NY Times, Jul 17, 2022. Article was updated on July 19, 2022 Say a postcard arrives in the mail, a reminder to make an appointment for a mammogram. Or
- [Feeling Dismissed - How to Spot ‘Medical Gaslighting’ and What to Do About It.](https://www.americanpatient.org/feeling-dismissed-how-to-spot-medical-gaslighting-and-what-to-do-about-it/) - Article Summary: This article discusses tips on advocating for patient rights in a healthcare setting. By Christina Caron, NY Times, Jul 29, 2022. Christina, who lives in Portland, Me., said she felt ignored by doctors for years. When she was 50 pounds heavier, her providers sometimes blamed her body size when she discussed her health
- [Health Insurance Price Data: It’s Out There, but It’s Not for the Faint of Heart](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-insurance-price-data-its-out-there-but-its-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/) - Article Summary: Insurers have released information on the cost of services to comply with the price transparency rule, although leaving consumers with huge data that is quite incomprehensible. By Julie Appleby, KHN, July 27, 2022. That’s the reaction about three weeks into a data dump of enormous proportions. Health insurers are posting their negotiated rates
- [Nursing Homes are Suing Friends and Family to Collect Patients' Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-homes-are-suing-friends-and-family-to-collect-patients-bills/) - Summary: Lucille Brooks, a retiree who lives in Pittsford, New York, was sued in 2020 for nearly $8,000 by a nursing home that had taken care of her brother. The nursing home dropped the case after she showed she had no control over his money or authority to make decisions for him. By NOAM LEVEY
- [Undetected](https://www.americanpatient.org/undetected/) - My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2020. She was 71 and had had two previous episodes of cancer from which she had recovered. We were told that this was a very aggressive form of cancer and she began treatment right away. Treatment ended later that year but she continued to
- [The Horrors Of Salem Hospital In Salem, Massachusetts](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-horrors-of-salem-hospital-in-salem-massachusetts/) - March 13, 2009, I had been feeling sick for several days with a really bad stomach ache and decided I needed to go to the Emergency Room. There had been a stomach flu going around and I figured I just had that. The pain was getting worse, so I wanted to be sure it wasn't
- [Hospital Lawsuits and Garnished Wages on Top of Diabetes](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-lawsuits-and-garnished-wages-on-top-of-diabetes/) - Article Summary: This article discusses the medical debt of a diabetic patient who faced medical emergency and financial struggles. By Noam N. Levey, KHN, Jun 16, 2022. Nick Woodruff, 37, Binghamton, New York Approximate Medical Debt: $20,000 Medical Issue: Diabetes What Happened: Nick Woodruff’s wages were garnished for the first time in 2016. Woodruff, who
- [‘Free’ Screening - Know Your Rights to Get No-Cost Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/free-screening-know-your-rights-to-get-no-cost-care/) - Article Summary: Affordable care act covers preventive care in patients, but some gaps need to be filled. By Julie Appleby, KHN, Jul 06, 2022. An ounce of prevention … well, you know the rest. In medicine, prevention aims to spot problems before they worsen, affecting both a patient’s health and finances. One of the more
- [State Medical Boards and Health Department Websites](https://www.americanpatient.org/state-territorial-health-department-websites/) - CONTACT A STATE MEDICAL BOARD CONTACT A STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Looking for the website of a state or territorial health department? The resources below link to health departments in all 50 states, 8 US territories and freely associated states, and the District of Columbia. States State Health Directory Alabama
- [Why You Need a Patient Advocate and How to Choose One](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-you-need-a-patient-advocate-and-how-to-choose-one/) - By Peter Hunt, APRA, July 30, 2021. Why You Need An Advocate Even if you have prepared advance care documents an advocate should be with you in the hospital as not all situations can be anticipated. You might feel unwell, be very sick, or be sedated by medication. You may feel at risk or that
- [How to Find, Interview, and Choose a Patient Advocate](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-find-interview-and-choose-a-patient-advocate/) - A true patient advocate is difficult to find. Finding one who has the experience and skills you need will be even harder. Volunteers can be wonderful, and the price may be right, but they often don't have the experience you need to be sure you're getting the best care you can get. By Trisha Torrey,
- [Renowned FL Medical Clinic Misdiagnosed My 2 Cancers for 3+ years, Abandoned My Care, Surveilled and Intimidated Me When I Sought Justice](https://www.americanpatient.org/renowned-fl-medical-clinic-misdiagnosed-my-2-cancers-for-3-years-abandoned-my-care-surveilled-and-intimidated-me-when-i-sought-justic/) - It is not lost on me how lucky I am to be alive. I am very grateful for this. It could have gone the other way. It is also not lost on me how disrespectfully and unethically I was treated by a renowned FL medical clinic. I will never really get over it. They misdiagnosed
- [Patient Neglect](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-neglect/) - My son was born with CP, has seizures a vns implant.He has Cellulitis never walked , many issues but we always been done right, untill our PCP retired .His replacement treats us bad, been trying to get his meds since Jan. Hospital visit on 27 Jan, Cellulitis, COVID, DR has made no attempt to do
- [Lindsay, OK ER hospital refused entry/treatment](https://www.americanpatient.org/lindsay-ok-er-hospital-refused-entry-treatment/) - August 2021 my daughter was having issues with her heart and our primary dr asked us to go to the ER for an EKG. We arrived at the Lindsay, Ok ER and the doors were locked. I got the attention of the person on the inside who said we would have to wear a mask.
- [Predatory Surgeon](https://www.americanpatient.org/predatory-surgeon/) - A surgeon assaulted me with a scalpel while I was unconscious. I woke to find he had removed healthy tissue without informed consent. He altered my body in a significant way: made a large external incision, cut through muscles, and removed some tissue. He had specifically assured me it would not happen, because I specifically
- [The ‘101’s’ of Being Hospitalized](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-101s-of-being-hospitalized/) - By Julie Kliger, May 16, 2022. Do you know what you need to know? Most people, it turns out, have no idea what to do when one of their family members (or themselves) lands in the hospital. Do you know what to do? Ask yourself the following questions: Do you know what
- [At US Hospitals, a Drug Mix-Up Is Just a Few Keystrokes Away](https://www.americanpatient.org/at-us-hospitals-a-drug-mix-up-is-just-a-few-keystrokes-away/) - Article Summary: Many hospital medication cabinets can be searched by inputting only a few letters which results in a drug mix-up and causes patient harm. By Brett Kelman, KHN, Apr 29, 2022. More than four years ago, Tennessee nurse RaDonda Vaught typed two letters into a hospital’s computerized medication cabinet, selected the wrong drug from
- [Find and Compare Hospice Providers, Nursing Homes and Other Providers Near You](https://www.americanpatient.org/find-and-compare-hospice-providers-nursing-homes-and-other-providers-near-you/) - The health care providers listed below are those offered on this tool. The descriptions below can help you better understand which provider is best for you and your situation. Doctors & clinicians Doctors and clinicians include doctors, clinicians and groups who are qualified to practice in many specialties. Each specialty focuses on certain parts of
- [12 Most Famous Medical Malpractice Cases – Dirty Dozen of Medical Mistakes](https://www.americanpatient.org/12-most-famous-medical-malpractice-cases-dirty-dozen-of-medical-mistakes/) - While we live in a time of great medical advances, serious medical mistakes take an enormous number of lives. By the last count, independent studies suggest that between 200,000 and 400,000 people die each year in the United States from preventable medical mistakes. That doesn’t even count the millions maimed and injured. From LeightonLaw.com Why are these
- [ER Negligence](https://www.americanpatient.org/er-negligence/) - I have an emergency room disaster story. I was awakened from my sleep struggling for my breath. I had to call an ambulance because the shortness of breath situation went on and on. I got to the emergency room; told the doctor and nurse and the triage person before them about what happened as I
- [$5,000 for ER Incompetance](https://www.americanpatient.org/5000-for-er-incompetance/) - It started roughly 5 months ago with what felt like a UTI but turned out not to be in the end. After a urine test they found no blood in the urine and I was put on liquid laxatives because the first thing my GP thought was that my colon was clogged. So after 3
- [Non-Consensual and Unnecessary Genital Exposure and Contact](https://www.americanpatient.org/non-consensual-and-unnecessary-genital-exposure-and-contact/) - I went in for a venous ablation, which was conducted in an operating room with sedation, and, as I discovered is the most expensive, intrusive, and traumatic option possible. I was never informed that I actually had options for this procedure. Specifically, I could have had it done in an office with a local anesthetic
- [Tactics to Deal With Medical Debt](https://www.americanpatient.org/tactics-to-deal-with-medical-debt/) - What to Do About Unpaid Medical Bills. Medical bills were the cause of 62 percent of bankruptcies in 2017, according to a study by the American Journal of Medicine. Even more alarming, 80 percent of those who filed medical debt bankruptcy actually had health insurance and their debt was low ($18,000) compared to those who
- [Medical bill for 9-year-old girl’s snakebite? $142,000](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bill-for-9-year-old-girls-snakebite-142/) - By CARMEN HEREDIA RODRIGUEZ, KAISER HEALTH NEWS. It was dusk as Oakley Yoder and the other summer camp kids hiked back to their tents at Illinois’ Jackson Falls last July. As the group approached a mound of boulders blocking the path, Oakley, then 9, didn’t see the lurking snake — until it bit a toe on
- [Sulphur, Oklahoma Hospital Refuses to render treatment-Patient Dumping](https://www.americanpatient.org/sulphur-oklahoma-hospital-refuses-to-render-treatment-patient-dumping/) - This past Sunday, I went to the ER at Arbuckle Hospital in Sulphur, Oklahoma, with neurological signs of possible stroke, as well as an issue with lymph node swelling and/or infection. Granted, the personnel did observe and test my condition[s], but did absolutely NOTHING to treat my conditions IN ANY WAY, except apply some lidocaine
- [FL allows doctors to make own standard of care that violates federal patient rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/fl-allows-doctors-to-make-own-standard-of-care-that-violates-federal-patient-rights/) - After seeing 3 eent (sic), I was sent to Dr. Janus, head of Otolarygology at Mayo Jacksonville. The doctor did not explain all treatment options, lied to me about the surgeries and destroyed the function of both parotids. One was completely normal. He sacrificed the organ without maintaining function to remove a cyst not arising
- [A High-Risk Medical Device Didn’t Meet Federal Standards. The Government Paid Millions for More.](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-high-risk-medical-device-didnt-meet-federal-standards-the-government-paid-millions-for-more/) - Article Summary: Federal inspectors found serious problems with the HeartWare heart pump, but agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continued paying to implant it in patients. By Neil Bedi, ProPublica, Jan 07, 2022. In 2014, when the Food and Drug Administration found serious problems with a life-sustaining
- [Study Claims Hospitals Charge Double for Specialty Drugs Compared to Pharmacies](https://www.americanpatient.org/study-claims-hospitals-charge-double-for-specialty-drugs-compared-to-pharmacies/) - Article Summary: A new study conducted by AHIP shows hospitals and doctors' offices charge patients more for specialty drugs compared to specialty pharmacies. By Robert King, Fierce Healthcare, Feb 17, 2022. Hospitals on average charge double the price for the same drugs compared to those offered by specialty pharmacies, according to a new insurer-funded study
- [Health insurers may be using biased machine learning models.](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-insurers-may-be-using-biased-machine-learning-models/) - Article Summary: Researchers have identified potential sources of bias in predictive models for disease onset, likelihood of hospitalization and medication adherence. By Rebecca Torrence, Fierce Healthcare, Feb 08, 2022. Machine learning has numerous potential applications for health insurers, including in predicting disease onset, future hospitalizations and medication adherence. But when bias creeps into the development
- [Share Your Story](https://www.americanpatient.org/share-you-story/) - Have you or an immediate family member been rejected for medical treatment, experienced physical or financial harm due to medical treatment or a failure to be treated? Are you a medical worker with a story to tell? If you believe that physical harm was caused to you or a family member, or you witnessed harm
- [Biologic Medications for Arthritis and Psoriasis, including Humira, Enbrel, Cosentyx and Remicade, Linked to 34,000 Deaths](https://www.americanpatient.org/biologic-medications-for-arthritis-and-psoriasis-linked-to-34000-deaths/) - Since 2000, the FDA has issued more than 25 warnings and safety communications regarding biologic drugs. By John Fauber and Kevin Crowe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. With her kidneys and liver failing and a 106-degree temperature that had smoldered for days, Helen Tschannen was being kept alive on a ventilator. Doctors were not certain what was
- [Double-Dipping, Copay Accumulators and Maximizers Threaten Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/copay-accumulators-and-maximizers-threaten-patients/) - By NBPAS, August 10, 2021. A recent article in the American Journal of Managed Care shed light on copay maximizer strategies among generics manufacturers. But not many patients understand how drug manufacturers are incorporating copay maximizers and accumulators in their reimbursement strategies. As a widespread challenge for patient access, copay accumulators and maximizers eliminate the
- [What Are My Health Care Rights and Responsibilities?](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-are-my-health-care-rights-and-responsibilities/) - From HHS.gov. As a patient, you have certain rights. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as the right to get a copy of your medical records, and the right to keep them private. Many states have additional laws protecting patients, and healthcare facilities often have a patient bill of rights. An important patient right is
- [F.B.I. Warns of Fraudulent Coronavirus Antibody Tests](https://www.americanpatient.org/f-b-i-warns-of-fraudulent-coronavirus-antibody-tests/) - By Christina Morales, The New York Times, Jun 29, 2020. The F.B.I. has issued a warning about scammers who advertise fraudulent Covid-19 antibody tests as a way to obtain personal information that can be used for identity theft or medical insurance fraud. The warning, issued Friday, is the latest in a series of alerts from
- [CVS Fined for Prescription Errors and Poor Staffing at Pharmacies](https://www.americanpatient.org/cvs-fined-for-prescription-errors-and-poor-staffing-at-pharmacies/) - Article Summary: Regulators of a pharmacy board faulted four CVS locations in Oklahoma, an action that followed complaints at drugstore chains across the country. The state board inspected the four pharmacies from mid-2019 to early 2020 after receiving multiple complaints about errors and overwhelmed staff members. By Ellen Gabler, The New York Times, Jul 16,
- [Refusal of Emergency Care and Patient Dumping](https://www.americanpatient.org/refusal-of-emergency-care-and-patient-dumping/) - By Jeffrey Kahntroff and Rochelle Watson, AMA Journal of Ethics, Jan. 2009. Gabino Olvera is a 42-year-old man who is mentally ill, paraplegic, and homeless. He was dropped off by Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in a soiled hospital gown with a catheter bag and no wheelchair in a neighborhood populated by many other homeless people
- [Dirty Little Medical Secrets](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-secrets/) - By J. Klein, for APRA. Hospitals Everyone who seeks treatment at a hospital emergency room or an urgent care center associated with a hospital in America risks unnecessary admission, financial ruin and even death. Preventable medical errors in hospitals is the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer, and it is getting
- [Patients see differences in biosimilar drugs](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-see-differences-in-biosimilar-drugs/) - By Michelle Andrews, for Kaiser Health News, Sept.21, 2021. It took years for Elle Moxley to get a diagnosis that explained her crippling gastrointestinal pain and digestion problems, fatigue and hot, red rashes. But even after learning in 2016 that she had Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, it took more than
- [As Big Pharma and Hospitals Battle Over Drug Discounts, Patients Miss Out on Millions in Benefits](https://www.americanpatient.org/as-big-pharma-and-hospitals-battle-over-drug-discounts-patients-miss-out-on-millions-in-benefits/) - Article Summary: Drugmakers struck back by halting federal drug discounts resulting in reduced access to health care and drug benefits that patient’s need. By Sarah Jane Tribble and Emily Featherston, KHN, Nov 16, 2021. In early July, as the covid-19 pandemic slammed rural America, the president of a small Kansas hospital sat down on a
- [Private-equity-acquired nursing homes have worse resident outcomes, higher Medicare costs, study finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/private-equity-acquired-nursing-homes-have-worse-resident-outcomes-higher-medicare-costs-study-finds/) - Article Summary: A recently published national cohort analysis found significant increase in ambulatory care-sensitive outcomes and per-resident Medicare costs. By Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare, Nov 24, 2021. Long-stay residents of nursing homes recently acquired by private equity firms are more likely to have ambulatory care-sensitive emergency department visits and hospitalizations compared to those staying at
- [Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Safety Reports by Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/cardiac-surgery-safety-reports-by-hospital/) - Surgeries to repair a heart can be risky, and some deaths and complications are inevitable. Doctors and advocates have pushed to make pediatric heart surgery outcomes more transparent, so institutions would feel pressure to improve and parents could better assess the care their child might receive. About 75 percent of the roughly 115 hospitals that
- [The DEA Is Warning Of A Rise In Overdose Deaths From Fake Drugs Laced With Fentanyl](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-dea-is-warning-of-a-rise-in-overdose-deaths-from-fake-drugs-laced-with-fentanyl/) - By Brian Mann and Scott Neuman, from NPR All Things Considered, updated September 27, 2021. A patch containing the active ingredient fentanyl is shown by a pharmacist. The painkiller fentanyl, which can be up to 100 times stronger than heroin, is a growing cause of overdose deaths in the U.S., according to the DEA. In
- [A hospital hiked the price of a routine childbirth by calling it an 'emergency'](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-hospital-hiked-the-price-of-a-routine-childbirth-by-calling-it-an-emergency/) - Article Summary: A hospital inflated bills for healthy births by labelling them emergencies. By Rae Ellen Bichell, NPR, Oct 27, 2021. As a conservation biologist, Caitlin Wells Salerno knows that some mammals — like the golden-mantled ground squirrels she studies in the Rocky Mountains — invest an insane amount of resources in their young. That
- [Medical Imaging Dangers](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-imaging-dangers/) - Radiation risk from medical imaging From Harvard Women's Health Watch. Updated: April 2, 2018 There's been a lot in the media about radiation exposure from medical imaging, and many of my patients are asking about it. They want to know if radiation from mammograms, bone density tests, computed tomography (CT) scans, and so forth will
- ['Ghost surgery' and Informed Consent Fraud is Common](https://www.americanpatient.org/ghost-surgery-and-informed-consent-fraud-is-common/) - Is the doctor you chose the one holding the scalpel? Maybe not. You have a legal right to informed consent, but failure to adequately and properly inform the patient of who will be performing an operation or procedure is common. By Charlotte Huffman, Mark Smith, November 21, 2019, from wfaa.com, updated November 21, 2019. Patients
- [APRA's Patient's Bill Of Rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-patient-medical-bill-of-rights/) - The following is a list of patient rights that APRA proposes to be enacted into law in order to protect the health and financial well-being of all Americans. Patients shall have the right to: *Existing laws which may vary by state. Select a healthcare provider of their choice Respect, dignity, courtesy, responsiveness, and
- [5 Recent Drug, Device Recalls](https://www.americanpatient.org/5-recent-drug-device-recalls/) - Article Summary: This article compiles a list of recent drug and medical device recalls reported to the FDA. By Maia Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review, Jun 21, 2021. Medical device and drug recalls, whether voluntary or mandated by the FDA, ensure patient safety. Here are five reported to the FDA since the end of May: Philips
- [Patients’ Costs Skyrocket; Specialists’ Incomes Soar](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-costs-skyrocket-specialists-incomes-soar/) - By Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times. CONWAY, Ark. - Kim Little had not thought much about the tiny white spot on the side of her cheek until a physician’s assistant at her dermatologist’s office warned that it might be cancerous. He took a biopsy, returning 15 minutes later to confirm the diagnosis and schedule
- [Medical Pricing Guide](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-pricing-guide/) - Nationwide Marketplace with Medical Costs Never Overpay For Healthcare Again. Compare prices for today's most commonly performed medical procedures from over 17,000 medical facilities nationwide for free! Check out the Medical Pricing Guide to know what you should expect to pay for healthcare services in your area.
- [Fake patient reviews are making it increasingly hard to seek medical help on Google, Yelp and other directory sites](https://www.americanpatient.org/fake-patient-reviews-are-making-it-increasingly-hard-to-seek-medical-help-on-google-yelp-and-other-directory-sites/) - Article Summary: Patients are finding it difficult to trust online reviews of health care providers as they are becoming increasingly fake with no signs of an imminent crackdown. By Laura Sydell, The Washington Post, June 05, 2021. Patricia Limbaugh was desperate to find care for her husband, whose drinking had spiraled out of control after
- [The Hidden Epidemic - Preventable Medical Errors](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-hidden-epidemic-preventable-medical-errors/) - From the George Washington University School of Public Health. In 2013 a report in the Journal of Patient Safety stated that preventable medical errors that occur in hospitals are the third leading cause of death in America after heart disease and cancer. But hospitals and doctors will not discuss medical errors or advise patients how they can protect themselves. And
- [The Most Influential Spreader of Coronavirus Misinformation Online](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-most-influential-spreader-of-coronavirus-misinformation-online/) - By Sheera Frenkel, The New York Times, July 24, 2021. SAN FRANCISCO — The article that appeared online on Feb. 9 began with a seemingly innocuous question about the legal definition of vaccines. Then over its next 3,400 words, it declared coronavirus vaccines were “a medical fraud” and said the injections did not prevent infections, provide immunity or
- [Sincerely Held Belief Not Enough in Suit Over Denied Religious Exemption to School's COVID Vaccination Policy](https://www.americanpatient.org/sincerely-held-belief-not-enough-in-suit-over-denied-religious-exemption-to-schools-covid-vaccination-policy/) - “If a private school can articulate a good business reason for why they do what they do … you’re allowed to have a policy in place,” like the one at issue here, defense counsel said. By P.J. D’Annunzio, Law.com, September 16, 2021. The original version of this story was published on The Legal Intelligencer. A
- [Hospital Inpatient or Outpatient Status Determines if Your Insurance Will Pay](https://www.americanpatient.org/are-you-inpatient-or-observation-status/) - Understanding Observation Care. From the Valley Hospital, Valley Health System. What is Observation Care? Observation services are hospital outpatient services that a physician orders to allow for testing and evaluation. This observation period, which normally lasts 24-48 hours, helps the physician decide if the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital for inpatient care
- [Pfizer recalls all lots of Chantix](https://www.americanpatient.org/pfizer-recalls-all-lots-of-chantix/) - Article Summary: Pfizer has voluntarily recalled all lots of Chantix, a smoking cessation drug due to the presence of a carcinogenic substance. By Maia Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review, Sep 17, 2021. Pfizer has recalled all lots of its smoking cessation drug Chantix because of the presence of the carcinogen N-nitroso-varenicline at levels above FDA-approved limits.
- [137 million Americans suffered hardships from medical costs: American Cancer Society](https://www.americanpatient.org/137-million-americans-suffered-hardships-from-medical-costs-american-cancer-society/) - By Justin Doom, ABC News, May 3, 2019. More than 137 million U.S. adults, about 56%, have suffered because of costs tied to medical care, according to a study released Thursday by the American Cancer Society. Adults aged 18 to 64 suffered more than seniors, according to National Health Interview Survey data collected from 2015
- [Does HIPAA really protect patient privacy?](https://www.americanpatient.org/does-hipaa-really-protect-patient-privacy/) - What Rights Does the Privacy Rule Give Me over My Health Information? Health insurers and providers who are covered entities must comply with your right to: Ask to see and get a copy of your health records Have corrections added to your health information Receive a notice that tells you how your health information may
- [Hospital-employed physicians more likely to order unneeded MRIs, study finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-employed-physicians-more-likely-to-order-unneeded-mris-study-finds/) - Article Summary: Study findings indicate that the odds of a patient receiving an inappropriate MRI referral increased by more than 20 percent after a physician transitioned to hospital employment. By Kelly Gooch, Becker’s Hospital Review, May 04, 2021. Patients of physicians employed by hospitals are more likely to receive inappropriate referrals for diagnostic imaging, according
- [To Vax or Not to Vax](https://www.americanpatient.org/apras-covid-quiz-for-anti-vaxxers-and-hesitators/) - There has been a lot of confusion about the Covid-19 vaccine. The following answers to the most common questions and concerns have been provided by reliable and unbiased sources. Covid is mostly made up or exaggerated by the media. According to Johns Hopkins, experts in public health, there have been more than 35 million cases of
- [Saving Lives With the American Patient Rights Association](https://www.americanpatient.org/saving-lives-with-the-american-patient-rights-association/) - Up to 440,000 people are dying each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals, and more than 500,000 people are bankrupted by predatory medical bills. APRA is fighting to stop these preventable deaths and bankruptcies. GO AHEAD - BE A HERO Start a Gofundme Fundraiser for our life-saving programs. It’s so easy! Register at gofundme.com
- [​The Private Hospital Inspection Agency That Threatens All Citizens](https://www.americanpatient.org/​the-private-hospital-inspection-agency-that-threatens-all-citizens/) - House committee probes CMS, Joint Commission over accreditation process By MARIA CASTELLUCCI, Modern Healthcare, March 13, 2018. Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have launched an investigation into the hospital accreditation process following a Wall Street Journal report last year that found the Joint Commission accredited hospitals with major safety issues. The committee sent letters
- [Nursing Homes Are a Breeding Ground for a Fatal Fungus.](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-homes-are-a-breeding-ground-for-a-fatal-fungus/) - Photo Credit Jeenah Moon for The New York Times. Drug-resistant germs, including Candida auris, prey on severely ill patients in skilled nursing facilities, a problem sometimes amplified by poor care and low staffing. By Matt Richtel and Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times. Published Sept. 11, 2019 Updated Sept. 12, 2019. Maria Davila lay mute in a nursing
- [Simi's Lovectomy - One Patient's Journey](https://www.americanpatient.org/simis-lovectomy-one-patients-journey/) - I am claim number 165XXXXXXX. Staring up at the ceiling, I am being wheeled, flat-backed and vulnerable, into a surgery I never in a million years expected to be having. So lucky they caught it everyone said. Yet at this moment, I didn’t feel lucky. Instead, all I could think of was why didn’t they
- [FDA Warns Against Using Unapproved Ozone or Ultraviolet Light Products To Clean CPAP Machines](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-warns-against-using-unapproved-ozone-or-ultraviolet-light-products-to-clean-cpap-machines/) - By Russell Maas, Aboutlawsuits.com, March 2, 2021. Federal health officials are warning against the use of ozone gas or ultraviolet (UV) light to clean continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices or accessories, indicating these cleaning methods have not been approved and could result in adverse health consequences. In a safety communication issued on February 27,
- [Hospitals and Insurers Didn’t Want You to See These Prices. Here’s Why.](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-and-insurers-didnt-want-you-to-see-these-prices-heres-why/) - By Sarah Kliff and Josh Katz. The New York Times, Aug. 22, 2021. This year, the federal government ordered hospitals to begin publishing a prized secret: a complete list of the prices they negotiate with private insurers. The insurers’ trade association had called the rule unconstitutional and said it would “undermine competitive negotiations.” Four hospital
- [‘Nursing Is in Crisis’: Staff Shortages Put Patients at Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-is-in-crisis-staff-shortages-put-patients-at-risk/) - “When hospitals are understaffed, people die,” one expert warned as the U.S. health systems reach a breaking point in the face of the Delta variant. By Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, Aug. 21, 2021. Cyndy O’Brien, an emergency room nurse at Ocean Springs Hospital on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, could not believe her eyes
- [A Judge Has Thrown Out A Lawsuit Brought By Hospital Workers Over A Vaccine Mandate](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-judge-has-thrown-out-a-lawsuit-brought-by-hospital-workers-over-a-vaccine-mandate/) - By EMINE YÜCEL, NPR, June 13, 2021. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 117 employees at Houston Methodist Hospital who were suing the hospital system over its COVID-19 vaccine requirement. In a five-page ruling issued Saturday, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes upheld the hospital's vaccination policy, saying the requirement broke no federal
- [Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send 1,000s to Gruesome Deaths](https://www.americanpatient.org/avoidable-sepsis-infections-send-thousands-to-gruesome-deaths/) - No one tracks sepsis cases closely enough to know how often these severe infections turn fatal, but the toll is enormous. By Fred Schulte, Elizabeth Lucas, Kaiser Health News and Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune. Shana Dorsey first caught sight of the purplish wound on her father’s lower back as he lay in a suburban Chicago hospital
- [New Press Ganey Report Warns That Covid-19 May Have Worsened Hospital Safety](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-press-ganey-report-warns-that-covid-19-may-have-worsened-hospital-safety/) - By Leah Binder, for Forbes. Apr. 9, 2021. We should rely on hospitals as premier authorities on protecting people from health hazards like infections and injuries. After all, they hire exceptionally smart and credentialed staff to care for the most vulnerable people in our communities. But statistics suggest otherwise. Preventable errors, accidents, and infections at
- [How a $175 COVID-19 Test Led to $2,479 in Charges](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-a-175-covid-19-test-led-to-2479-in-charges/) - By Marshall Allen, ProPublica, Aug 01, 2020. As she waited for the results of her rapid COVID-19 test, Rachel de Cordova sat in her car and read through a stack of documents given to her by SignatureCare Emergency Center. Without de Cordova leaving her car, the staff at the freestanding emergency room near her home
- [Blood Sample Mix-up Led to Patient's Death at Baylor St. Luke's Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/blood-sample-mix-up-led-to-patients-death-at-baylor-st-lukes-hospital/) - By Aaron Barker, KPRC Click2Houston. HOUSTON, TX - A mix-up in blood samples at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center last year led to a botched transfusion and a patient’s death, according to a Department of Health and Human Services report released Tuesday. According to the report, a 75-year-old woman came to the emergency room the
- [Free-standing ERs  Charging Patients 10X More Than an Urgent Care Center or Doctor's Office](https://www.americanpatient.org/free-standing-ers-charging-patients-10x-more-than-an-urgent-care-center-or-doctors-office/) - By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News, May 21, 2021. Colorado health officials so abhor the high costs associated with free-standing emergency rooms they’re offering to pay hospitals to shut the facilities down. The state wants hospitals to convert them to other purposes, such as providing primary care or mental health services. At least 500 free-standing
- [Profits Over Patients - Insurers are Refusing or Delaying Prior Authorization](https://www.americanpatient.org/insurers-are-harming-patients-by-refusing-or-delaying-prior-authorization/) - Summary: Prior authorization requirements have caused a disruption in the continuity of care and resulted in adverse events and hospitalization. Instead of prior authorization, insurers should go back to the old ‘pay-and-chase’ model. By Steve Cohen, STAT, Mar 11, 2021. The news Jennifer G. and her husband got from her medical team was devastating. If
- [Nevada and New Mexico State Medical Debt Collections Laws to Take Effect July 1, 2021](https://www.americanpatient.org/nevada-and-new-mexico-state-medical-debt-collections-laws-to-take-effect-july-1-2021/) - By Christine Emello, Ballard Spahr, LLP, June 17, 2021. State legislatures in New Mexico and Nevada enacted laws this session targeting medical debt collections. Both laws have been signed by the states’ Governors and take effect July 1, 2021. New Mexico Patients Debt Collection Practices Act The New Mexico Patients Debt Collection Practices Act places a
- [Terms and Conditions](https://www.americanpatient.org/terms-and-conditions/) - Website and Application Terms and Conditions of Use The following terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”) govern your use of this website or application, and any content made available from or through this website, including any subdomains thereof, or application (the “Website”). The Website is made available by American Patient Rights Association (“APRA” or
- [Legal Statement](https://www.americanpatient.org/legal-statement/) - American Patient Rights Association Legal Statement The text, video, and other information (the “Content”) provided on the American Patient Rights Association Website is for informational purposes only and is not comprehensive for any one topic. The Content is not intended to provide or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The Content is not
- [What Are Your Rights As A Patient](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-are-your-rights-as-a-patient/) - Patient Rights Definition and Overview. Patient rights are continually evolving and are linked to governmental agencies and their regulations. Failure to respect these patient rights may have severe penalties imposed on those individuals, businesses, and ancillary health agencies that violate patient rights. However, if patients have rights, they should remember that patient rights also
- [Looking to Tackle Prescription Overload](https://www.americanpatient.org/looking-to-tackle-prescription-overload/) - Article Summary: Most older adults are prescribed with an overload of drugs that may not be beneficial or could lead to drug interactions affecting their quality of life. This article explores the benefits of “deprescribing”. By Paula Span, The New York Times, Jun 07, 2021. The last straw, for Leslie Hawkins, was her mother’s 93rd-birthday
- [For Black kidney patients, an algorithm may help perpetuate harmful racial disparities](https://www.americanpatient.org/for-black-kidney-patients-an-algorithm-may-help-perpetuate-harmful-racial-disparities/) - Article Summary: Medical algorithm uses race as a factor for evaluating kidney disease care, harming black patients with worse outcomes and reduced chance of receiving a new kidney. By Rae Ellen Bichell and Cara Anthony, The Washington Post, Jun 06, 2021. Alphonso Harried recently came across a newspaper clipping about his grandfather receiving his 1,000th
- [Device Makers Have Funneled Billions to Orthopedic Surgeons Who Use Their Products](https://www.americanpatient.org/device-makers-have-funneled-billions-to-orthopedic-surgeons-who-use-their-products/) - Article Summary: Medical device companies have offered illegal compensation to orthopedic and spine surgeons corrupting their medical judgment to perform unnecessary and wasteful surgeries causing serious patient harm. By Fred Schulte and Elizabeth Lucas, KHN, Jun 17, 2021. Dr. Kingsley R. Chin was little more than a decade out of Harvard Medical School when sales
- [A Hospital Charged More Than $700 For Each Push Of Medicine Through Her IV](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-hospital-charged-more-than-700-for-each-push-of-medicine-through-her-iv/) - Article Summary: Hospitals charge a very high fee by unbundling each and every service provided at the ER, billing a whooping $700 for a single push of IV medicine. By Rae Ellen Bichell, NPR, Jun 28, 2021. Claire Lang-Ree was in a lab coat taking a college chemistry class remotely in the kitchen of her
- [What Is a Health Care Agent](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-is-a-health-care-agent/) - Most of us want to make our own decisions about our bodies and medical care. But sometimes that’s not possible. That’s where a health care agent comes in. This is a person you allow to make decisions for you in case you can’t make them yourself. For example, if you were in an accident that
- [Giving Someone a Power of Attorney for Your Healthcare (multi-state guide and form)](https://www.americanpatient.org/giving-someone-a-power-of-attorney-for-your-healthcare-multi-state-guide-and-form/) - “Bare Bones” Health Care Power of Attorney Is Valid in All but Five States The Commission on Law and Aging has released a booklet offering a simple durable power of attorney for health care, designed to meet the legal requirements in nearly all states. August 25, 2020. From The American Bar Association. Giving Someone a
- [Medical Records Release and Surrogate Forms](https://www.americanpatient.org/more-health-forms/) - Use these legal forms to 1) protect your health information, and 2) to authorize a surrogate to make decisions regarding your health care in case you are unable to make decisions for yourself for any reason. HIPAA Medical Records Release Form. HIPAA Authorization for Use and Disclosure Form Healthcare Surrogate Form
- [State Restrictions on Health Care Agents](https://www.americanpatient.org/state-restrictions-on-health-care-agents/) - Some states restrict who can serve as your health care agent. Your health care agent is the person that you name in your health (aka advance) care directive to work with your doctors to direct your healthcare and make treatment decisions for you if you are unable to do so. This person is usually called
- [How Dangerous Are CT Scans?](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-dangerous-are-ct-scans/) - By Dr. C.H. Weaver M.D., CancerConnect.com, updated 1/2019. CT scan is short for computerized tomography scan. CT scans are a type of X-ray that provide highly detailed images. CT, or CAT scans, are special X-ray tests that produce cross-sectional images of the body x-rays and a computer. CT scans are also referred to as computerized
- [Medicare Trims Payments To 800 Hospitals, Citing Patient Safety Incidents ](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-trims-payments-to-800-hospitals-citing-patient-safety-incidents/) - Eight hundred hospitals will be paid less by Medicare this year because of high rates of infections and patient injuries, federal records show. The number is the highest since the federal government five years ago launched the Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, created by the Affordable Care Act. Under the program, 1,756 hospitals have
- [Top Hospitals Charging Patients up to 1,800% More for Services Than They Cost](https://www.americanpatient.org/top-hospitals-charging-patients-up-to-1800-more-for-services-than-they-actually-cost-study/) - The leading nurses union says the study highlights the need for a Medicare for All system to limit high markups By IGOR DERYSH, NOVEMBER 22, 2020, For Salon. Hospitals in the United States charge patients as much as 1,800% more than their costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study.The 100 most expensive hospitals in
- [More Than 200 Doctors Stay on Medicare Rolls Despite Disciplinary Actions](https://www.americanpatient.org/more-than-200-doctors-stay-on-medicare-rolls-despite-disciplinary-actions/) - By Matt Wynn, MedPage Today and John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 17, 2018 | Updated Dec. 31, 2018. Doctors who land in hot water with state regulators have a helping hand when it comes to keeping their practices running: the federal government. At least 216 doctors remained on Medicare rolls in 2015 despite surrendering a license,
- [1-In-3 Seniors Prescribed 'Potentially Inappropriate' Medications](https://www.americanpatient.org/1-in-3-older-adults-prescribed-potentially-inappropriate-medications/) - By John Commins, Health Leaders Media, Oct 26, 2020. One-in-three older Americans is prescribed inappropriate medications and that leads to increased hospitalizations and an additional $458 a year in per-patient healthcare spending, according to new research. "Although efforts to de-prescribe have increased significantly over the last decade, potentially inappropriate medications continue to be prescribed at
- [Abbott Recalls Assurity™ and Endurity™ Pacemakers](https://www.americanpatient.org/abbott-recalls-assurity-and-endurity-pacemakers/) - The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death. Recalled Product Scalable Bradycardia Platform (SBP) Pacemakers: Assurity™ and Endurity™ Distribution Dates: April 29, 2015 to February 20, 2019 Devices Recalled in the U.S.: 61,973 Date Initiated by Firm:
- [Unnecessary Medical Tests, Treatments Cost $200 Billion Annually, Cause Harm](https://www.americanpatient.org/unnecessary-medical-tests-treatments-cost-200-billion-annually-cause-harm/) - Overly aggressive care can hurt patients, generating mistakes and injuries believed to cause 30,000 deaths each year. From Kaiser Health News, May 24, 2017. It's common knowledge in medicine: Doctors routinely order tests on hospital patients that are unnecessary and wasteful. There are plenty of opportunities to trim waste in America's $3.4 trillion health care
- [Medical Error Statistics: When Healthcare Can Kill You](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-error-statistics-when-healthcare-can-kill-you/) - Medical Error Statistics: When Healthcare Can Kill You By Maria Clark, for Etactics, September 24, 2020. Responsible people don’t think twice about visiting the hospital. If we feel sick, need surgery, or have a major health concern, it usually isn’t a debate about if we should go. Yet some people are afraid of the hospital
- [‘No one was listening’ Long Covid patients struggle to get care for their symptoms](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-one-was-listening-long-covid-patients-struggle-to-get-care-for-their-symptoms/) - By Allison Bond, STAT, Apr 21, 2021. Summary: COVID long haulers are struggling hard to receive the medical care for their symptoms and being dismissed. Last summer, in the six weeks after she began feeling terrifyingly breathless and was briefly hospitalized for Covid-19, Crystal Williams returned to the emergency room eight times. Each visit was
- [Hospitals Should Replace Infection-Prone Scopes With Safer Models, F.D.A. Says](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-should-replace-infection-prone-scopes-with-safer-models-f-d-a-says/) - By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times, Aug. 29, 2019. Companies that make reusable, snakelike cameras to examine patients internally should begin making disposable versions, because the current models cannot be properly sterilized and have spread infections from one patient to another, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. In the meantime, hospitals
- [Breast Implants Linked to Rare Cancer Are Recalled Worldwide](https://www.americanpatient.org/breast-implants-linked-to-rare-cancer-are-recalled-worldwide/) - By Denise Grady, The New York Times, July 24, 2019. Textured breast implants made by Allergan that have been linked to an unusual cancer are being recalled in the United States at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, and will also be recalled globally, the agency announced on Wednesday. The F.D.A. decision, based
- [Reports Of Patients’ Deaths Linked To Heart Devices Hidden by the FDA](https://www.americanpatient.org/reports-of-patients-deaths-linked-to-heart-devices-hidden-by-the-fda/) - By Christina Jewett, KHN, Dec. 24, 2019. The Food and Drug Administration continues to file thousands of reports of patients’ deaths related to medical devices through a reporting system that keeps the safety data out of the public eye. The system is similar to a vast program exposed earlier this year by KHN that kept
- [6 Recent Medical Device Recalls](https://www.americanpatient.org/6-recent-medical-device-recalls/) - Article Summary: This article compiles medical device recalls reported to the FDA since mid-April, 2021. By Maia Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review, Apr 30, 2021. Medical device recalls, whether voluntary or mandated by the FDA, ensure patient safety. Here are six reported to the FDA since mid-April: Editor's note: The recalls are listed from most to
- [Patients Being Charged Thousands for Just Sitting in a Hospital ER Room](https://www.americanpatient.org/i-read-1182-emergency-room-bills-this-year-heres-what-i-learned/) - I read 1,182 emergency room bills this year. Here’s what I learned. By Sarah Kliff, for Vox. A $5,571 bill to sit in a waiting room, $238 eye drops, and a $60 ibuprofen tell the story of how emergency room visits are squeezing patients. For the past 15 months, I’ve asked Vox readers to submit emergency
- [Hidden Public Health Threat In Hospitals Killing 162,000 Annually](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-mysterious-infection-spanning-the-globe-in-a-climate-of-secrecy/) - Hospital Infections and Drug Resistant Germs - A Public Health Threat Cloaked in a Climate of Secrecy In the United States, two million people contract resistant infections annually and recent estimates from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine put the death toll at 162,000. Worldwide fatalities from resistant infections are estimated at 700,000. By
- [Hospitals Can Be Sued for Battery When Patients Say 'Stop'](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-can-be-sued-for-battery-when-patients-say-stop/) - By Ayla Ellison, Beckers Hospital Review, February 14th, 2020. A patient who asks a clinician to stop a procedure and it's feasible to do so can sue for battery if medical staff continue with the treatment, according to Law360, which cites an opinion from a Massachusetts appeals court. The opinion was issued in a case against Brigham and Women's
- [US hospitals overused elective procedures and tests before pandemic, report shows. Experts say focus must return to patient safety.](https://www.americanpatient.org/us-hospitals-overused-elective-procedures-and-tests-before-pandemic-report-shows-experts-say-focus-must-return-to-patient-safety/) - Article Summary: Hospitals have unnecessarily performed too many elective procedures and tests in a study conducted among Medicare patients. By: Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, May 04, 2021. During the height of the pandemic, many health care providers were forced to temporarily halt elective procedures in an attempt to slow down virus transmission and relieve hospitals
- [CMS Warns of Patient Safety Risks at Texas Hospital.](https://www.americanpatient.org/cms-warns-of-patient-safety-risks-at-texas-hospital/) - By Virgil Dickson, Modern Healthcare, October 10, 2018. . Texas General Hospital in Grand Prairie, Texas, is at risk of being kicked out of the Medicare and Medicaid programs after the CMS found it to be putting its patients in danger by not providing some services or allowing medical personnel to provide care that's beyond
- [No one should die from a blood transfusion. So why did it happen at MD Anderson, the nation's top cancer hospital?](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-one-should-die-from-a-blood-transfusion-so-why-did-it-happen-at-md-anderson-the-nations-top-cancer-hospital/) - By Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, Jan. 26, 2019. In early December, a nurse at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center gave a 23-year-old leukemia patient a blood transfusion that, unbeknownst to the medical staff, had become contaminated with bacteria. The patient’s blood pressure soon plummeted, but there’s no evidence anyone at the nation’s
- [Patient Dies in Pennsylvania's WellSpan York Hospital ER](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-dies-in-pennsylvanias-wellspan-york-hospital-er/) - By Shelly Stallsmith, York Daily Record, Oct. 15, 2019. WellSpan York Hospital emergency staff were seen on video walking past a patient in a wheelchair approximately 12 times on Aug. 16. No one approached the man for more than 70 minutes. Roughly 3 ½ hours after arriving at the hospital by ambulance, the man was dead,
- [NY's poor hospital safety ratings deserve deeper look](https://www.americanpatient.org/nys-poor-hospital-safety-ratings-deserve-deeper-look-2/) - By Bethany Bump, Times Union, Jan 04, 2020. A new report finds New York hospitals rank among the lowest nationwide for safety and quality of care – even when compared with hospitals in other major urbanized states. When commissioning the study, the nonpartisan New York Public Interest Research Group set out to address a common
- [Highest-earning nonprofit hospitals give less charity care than lower-earning ones, study finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/9900-2/) - By Alia Paavola, Beckers Hospital Review, Feb. 18, 2020. Nonprofit hospitals that generated the highest net incomes provided less charity care to patients relative to their income than their lower-earning peers, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study, which analyzed data from 2,563 nonprofit short-term general hospitals, found that nonprofit
- [As Surgery Centers Boom, Patients Are Paying With Their Lives](https://www.americanpatient.org/as-surgery-centers-boom-patients-are-paying-with-their-lives/) - By Christina Jewett and Mark Alesia, USA Today Network, MARCH 2, 2018. The surgery went fine. Her doctors left for the day. Four hours later, Paulina Tam started gasping for air. Internal bleeding was cutting off her windpipe, a well-known complication of the spine surgery she had undergone. But a Medicare inspection report describing the
- [Patients Are Being Billed For Some Phone Chats With Doctors That Used To Be Free](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-are-being-billed-for-some-phone-chats-with-doctors-that-used-to-be-free/) - By Jay Hancock, NPR, Apr 27, 2020. Karen Taylor had been coughing for weeks when she decided to see a doctor in early April. The number of COVID-19 cases had just exceeded 5,000 in Texas, where she lives. Cigna, her health insurer, said it would waive out-of-pocket costs for telehealth patients seeking coronavirus screening through
- [4 Top Patient Safety Risks In Physician Offices and Outpatient Clinics](https://www.americanpatient.org/4-top-patient-safety-risks-in-physician-offices-and-outpatient-clinics/) - A watchdog group has identified the top four risks for patient safety at ambulatory care settings, according to a new report. Ambulatory care facilities such as physician offices and outpatient clinics are the most widely used settings in U.S. healthcare, according to the ECRI Institute PSO report published last week. Ambulatory care settings provide a
- [Plant Where 15M J&J Vaccines Were Ruined Has History of Failed Quality Audits](https://www.americanpatient.org/plant-where-15m-jj-vaccines-were-ruined-has-history-of-failed-quality-audits/) - Article Summary: The Baltimore plant that recently had to scrap up to 15 million ruined doses had flouted rules and downplayed errors, according to internal audits, ex-employees and clients. By Katie Adams, Backer’s Hospital Review, Apr 06, 2021. The Baltimore Emergent BioSolutions plant, where 15 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses were ruined, has
- [10 Ways to Keep Your Health Care and Insurance Affordable ](https://www.americanpatient.org/10-ways-to-keep-your-health-care-and-insurance-affordable/) - According to the 2018 enrollment report, 11.8 million individuals signed up or renewed through the marketplace for 2018 coverage through HealthCare.gov marketplace. We've all heard varying reports about how healthcare may change or is changing under Trumpcare, and it definitely is making people think twice about the future of healthcare plans and how to find affordable coverage,
- [6 Ways to Save Money on Prescription Drugs](https://www.americanpatient.org/6-ways-to-save-money-on-prescription-drugs/) - The cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. has long caused frustration and, worse, presented financial barriers for some consumers. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average American pays $1,200 per year for medications, more than in any other country in the world. . A recent poll from Kaiser Family Foundation
- [OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to plead guilty to three criminal charges](https://www.americanpatient.org/oxycontin-maker-purdue-pharma-to-plead-guilty-to-three-criminal-charges/) - By Associated Press, The Guardian, Oct. 21, 2020. Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin, the powerful prescription painkiller that experts say helped touch off an opioid epidemic, will plead guilty to three federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8bn, according to the US justice department. “Purdue Pharma actively thwarted
- [Acella Pharmaceuticals Recalls Thyroid Drug; 43 Serious Adverse Events Reported](https://www.americanpatient.org/acella-pharmaceuticals-recalls-thyroid-drug-43-serious-adverse-events-reported/) - Article Summary: Acella Pharmaceuticals has recalled their thyroid drug for sub potency. By Maia Anderson, Becker’s Hospital Review, May 03, 2021. Acella Pharmaceuticals is recalling 38 lots of its thyroid drug after routine testing conducted by the drugmaker found the drug to be subpotent. The recalled lots contain less than 90% of the labeled amount
- [The 10 Worst Medications for Your Kidneys](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-10-worst-medications-for-your-kidneys/) - Medications that can damage the kidneys are known as “nephrotoxic medications.” These drugs can cause direct damage to the kidneys. Some of these medications mildly worsen kidney function and others can cause acute kidney injuries. The risk for kidney damage depends on your individual health and other medications you are taking. For people with even
- [Transplant Patients Need Anti-Rejection Drugs. Why Won’t Insurers Pay for Some of Them?](https://www.americanpatient.org/transplant-patients-need-anti-rejection-drugs-why-wont-insurers-pay-for-some-of-them/) - By Gina Kolata, The New York Times. The question might seem indelicate. But transplant centers find it is necessary these days to know the answer even before they place a patient on the list for an organ transplant. “How will you pay for the anti-rejection drugs?” These are patients with insurance — they need it
- [‘Painless’ Glucose Monitors Pushed Despite Little Evidence They Help Most Diabetes Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/painless-glucose-monitors-pushed-despite-little-evidence-they-help-most-diabetes-patients/) - Article Summary: There’s little evidence continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) leads to better outcomes for most people with diabetes, yet they are being aggressively promoted to patients. By Phil Galewitz, KHN, Mar 16, 2021. In the nation’s battle against the diabetes epidemic, the go-to weapon being aggressively promoted to patients is as small as a quarter
- [After Accident, Patient Crashes Into $700,000 Bill for Spine Surgery](https://www.americanpatient.org/after-accident-patient-crashes-into-700000-bill-for-spine-surgery/) - Article Summary: Patient’s personal injury protection exhausted in his auto insurance, leaving him potentially on the hook for thousands. By Julie Appleby, KHN, Apr 22, 2021. Mark Gottlieb’s life changed in an instant when another driver crashed into his car, damaging four vertebrae in his upper spine and smashing six teeth. In the months
- [About Health Plans & Benefits](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-plans-benefits/) - From the U.S. Department of Labor. Health Plans & Benefits: Portability of Health CoverageHealth Plans & Benefits Health Plans & Benefits: Compliance Assistance Health Plans & Benefits: Consumer Information on Health Plans Health Plans & Benefits: Continuation of Health Coverage - COBRA Health Plans & Benefits: ERISA Health Plans & Benefits: Fiduciary Responsibilities Health Plans
- [Hospitals Are Producing an ‘Epidemic of Immobility’ in Elderly Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-are-producing-an-epidemic-of-immobility-in-elderly-patients/) - By Melissa Bailey, The Washington Post, Oct. 13, 2019. > APRA Summary: Hospitals have become so overzealous in fall prevention that they are producing an “epidemic of immobility.” One-third of patients 70 and older leave the hospital more disabled than when they arrived. Dorothy Twigg was living on her own, cooking and walking without
- [Medical Debt Collection: Know Your Rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bill-debtor-rights/) - It’s 10 PM on a Tuesday night and you just received an aggressive call from someone demanding that you pay them for the back surgery that you had eight years ago. Before you pull out your credit card to make “just a small, one-time payment,” you should stop and ask yourself what your rights are
- [What Is a Doctor Legally Required To Do](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-is-a-doctor-legally-required-to-do/) - Excerpts from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A doctor is NOT legally required to: Treat you, under varying circumstances. Doctors in private practice -- who do not receive public funding via programs like Medicare -- can refuse to treat a patient, although they are still subject to federal anti-discrimination laws. Doctors who receive public funding are subject to different rules in
- [My Right to Death With Dignity](https://www.americanpatient.org/my-right-to-death-with-dignity-at-29/) - Married for a year, Brittany Maynard, 29, found she had aggressive brain cancer. She had six months to live, and she didn't want her family to watch her dying in pain. Maynard and her family moved to Oregon to take advantage of the Death with Dignity law. This is her story. By Brittany Maynard, Source: CNN.
- [Know Your Patient Rights, Says Californians For Patient Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/know-your-patient-rights-says-californians-for-patient-care/) - From Californians for Patient Care. California consumers have healthcare rights that they may not be aware of, according to Californians for Patient Care, an independent nonprofit and patient advocate that connects consumers to affordable care. Exercising these rights may give patients greater control over their healthcare experiences and even improve their health. "Though the upcoming
- [Do You Have the Right to Refuse Medical Treatment?](https://www.americanpatient.org/do-you-have-the-right-to-refuse-medical-treatment/) - Every day, patients are faced with a decision on whether or not to put themselves through medical treatment. In some cases, a recommended treatment will only be a question of comfort or speed of healing. In others, it's a question of quality of life versus the quantity of life. You may wonder what your rights are
- [Can Patients Record Their Doctors Appointments](https://www.americanpatient.org/can-patients-record-their-doctor-visits/) - State, federal laws govern whether doctor visits can be recorded Audio and video recordings of doctors’ visits can be used to improve patients’ and families’ understanding of medical conditions and care instructions. In some situations, however, providers may be concerned that recordings could be harmful or illegal or may cause liability down the line. What
- [An invisible hand: Patients aren’t being told about the AI systems advising their care](https://www.americanpatient.org/an-invisible-hand-patients-arent-being-told-about-the-ai-systems-advising-their-care/) - Since February of last year, tens of thousands of patients hospitalized at one of Minnesota’s largest health systems have had their discharge planning decisions informed with help from an artificial intelligence model. But few if any of those patients has any idea about the AI involved in their care. By Rebecca Robbins & Erin Brodwin,
- [FDA warns consumers against fraudulent coronavirus tests, vaccines and treatments](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-warns-consumers-against-fraudulent-coronavirus-tests-vaccines-and-treatments/) - By Noah Higgins-Dunn, CNBC, Mar 25, 2020. Consumers should beware of buying or using products that sellers claim will help diagnose, treat, cure or prevent COVID-19 as the coronavirus continues to sweep across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. Some companies are trying to profit from the pandemic by selling unproven
- [Coronavirus Patients Caught In Conflict Between Hospital And Nursing Homes](https://www.americanpatient.org/coronavirus-patients-caught-in-conflict-between-hospital-and-nursing-homes/) - By Judith Graham, KHN, Mar 30, 2020. A wrenching conflict is emerging as the COVID-19 virus storms through U.S. communities: Some patients are falling into a no man’s land between hospitals and nursing homes. Hospitals need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes don’t want to take patients discharged
- [How the Coronavirus is Upending Medical Privacy](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-the-coronavirus-is-upending-medical-privacy/) - By Darius Tahir and Mohana Ravindranath, Politico, Apr 28, 2020. Apple and Google are building massive coronavirus tracking apps. Government officials are disclosing infections to the public and pitching "immunity passports" and gadgets that can tell if an infected person leaves their house. It’s all in the name of public health. And it’s a privacy
- ['Meaningless' FDA Certificates Are Used To Tout Dubious Face Masks](https://www.americanpatient.org/meaningless-fda-certificates-are-used-to-tout-dubious-face-masks/) - Article Summary: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new suppliers have jumped into the market for surgical masks and some have touted FDA certificates that don't have any regulatory meaning. By Sydney Lupkin, NPR, Jul 16, 2020. When the order of 100,000 masks arrived at an unnamed factory for use in protecting workers against COVID-19,
- [APRA Hospital Safety Guide for COVID Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/apr-15-2020-apra-releases-hospital-safety-guide-for-people-with-covid-19/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Patient Rights Group Releases Hospital Safety Guide for People with COVID-19 Protecting patients with COVID-19 - Steps people with the virus should take to prepare for hospital admission June 12, 2020. Mount Dora, Fla. – With hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. currently infected with COVID-19, the American Patient Rights
- [Falsified Florida COVID Numbers Alleged](https://www.americanpatient.org/falsified-florida-covid-numbers-alleged/) - Rebekah Jones, fired coronavirus data scientist, files whistleblower complaint By MARIO ARIZA, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, JULY 17, 2020. Rebekah Jones, the Florida coronavirus data scientist who was fired in early May for alleged insubordination, has filed a whistleblower complaint against the Florida Department of Health, saying that she was removed from her post for refusing to falsify data.
- [A dilemma for ‘long-haulers’: Many can’t prove they ever had Covid-19](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-dilemma-for-long-haulers-many-cant-prove-they-ever-had-covid-19/) - By David Tuller, STAT News, Aug 26, 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic rolls on, an unknown number of seemingly recovered patients are experiencing what is being called post-Covid syndrome — weeks or months of profound fatigue, fevers, problems with concentration and memory, dizzy spells, hair loss, and many other troubling symptoms. Among these “long-haulers,” as
- [Hospital Bills For Uninsured COVID-19 Patients Are Covered, But No One Tells Them](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-bills-for-uninsured-covid-19-patients-are-covered-but-no-one-tells-them/) - By Blake Farmer, NPR, Oct 22, 2020. When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tenn., were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city's youngest fatalities at that point. Settles was also uninsured
- [“She whispered, ‘When is my doctor coming?’ ‘Soon,’ I lied.”](https://www.americanpatient.org/she-whispered-when-is-my-doctor-coming-soon-i-lied/) - By Sunnie Bell, RN. I was the nurse in charge of the evening shift at a small hospital. I was enthusiastic and experienced—a top graduate of a prominent nursing school. I had come on duty at 3 p.m. and met 85-year-old Mrs. Owen,* who had been admitted by Dr. X, her longtime family physician, because
- [“I gave her some pain meds and discharged her from the ER. Then I picked up the next chart in the bottomless stack.”](https://www.americanpatient.org/i-gave-her-some-pain-meds-and-discharged-her-from-the-er-then-i-picked-up-the-next-chart-in-the-bottomless-stack/) - By Bryan E. Bledsoe, DO. I’ll never forget her—in fact, I still have dreams about the look on her children’s faces after she died. Her name was Claire,* and she came into the ER where I was working as an emergency physician. She had an old neck collar on upside down and was complaining of
- [“Heavy perspiration, shortness of breath—his symptoms were textbook. The only thing was, I hadn’t read that chapter yet.”](https://www.americanpatient.org/heavy-perspiration-shortness-of-breath-his-symptoms-were-textbook-the-only-thing-was-i-hadnt-read-that-chapter-yet/) - By Robert M. Wachter, MD. I was a second-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania, and on my second day of rounds at a nearby VA hospital. Penn’s philosophy was to get students seeing patients early in their education. Nice idea, but it overlooked one detail: Second-year students know next to nothing about medicine.
- [“Her name was Emily, and she was two years old.”](https://www.americanpatient.org/her-name-was-emily-and-she-was-two-years-old/) - By Eric Cropp. It was a busy Sunday in the pharmacy at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. The hospital’s computer system had been down for about ten hours before I started my shift, and because I was teamed with a pharmacist who was fairly new to the department, I had additional responsibility. But
- ["After six hours, he still wasn't waking up. What had I done?"](https://www.americanpatient.org/after-six-hours-he-still-wasnt-waking-up-what-had-i-done/) - By Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD. I was a young doctor doing specialty training in critical care, and I was exhausted. Partway through a 36-hour shift at Johns Hopkins Hospital, I was hungry and hadn't slept for 24 hours, but I was facing an overflowing intensive care unit and somehow needed to discharge five patients to
- [5 HOUR OUT-PATIENT SURGERY $83,000](https://www.americanpatient.org/5-hour-out-patient-surgery-83000/) - I had sinus surgery in June 2013 to repair a deviated septum and sinus turbinates expanded. This was outpatient surgery. I was at the hospital for about 5 hours with no complications. Prior to my surgery I went for pre-op work and to take care of my co-pay. I paid 200.00 for my part. When
- [Wrong Coding Caused Overcharges](https://www.americanpatient.org/wrong-coding-2/) - I have often been over-charged in a hospital ER as well as an inpatient. There should always be statements given or sent to patients in simple terms that are easily understood by any person not associated with the medical field. Hospitals and doctor fee's can be double charged by using the coding systems that are
- [$5000 for ER Incompetance](https://www.americanpatient.org/5000-for-er-incompetance-2/) - It started roughly 5 months ago with what felt like a UTI but turned out not to be in the end. After a urine test they found no blood in the urine and I was put on liquid laxatives because the first thing my GP thought was that my colon was clogged. So after 3
- [Double Pneumonia Hospital Stay: $999,932](https://www.americanpatient.org/double-pneumonia-hospital-stay-999932-2/) - Alexandria Brooks, 46, of Hernando, Florida, was recently charged $999,932 for a month-and-a-half hospital stay for double pneumonia, which later developed into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She wanted to share her story because that one bill was just $67 short of one million dollars. Another one of her notable bills: $36,806 to be airlifted
- [Stitches & Scar Repair: $22,000](https://www.americanpatient.org/stitches-scar-repair-22000/) - After being bitten by a dog, 26-year-old Mallory Kerley was billed approximately $22,000 for stitches and scar repair. She later found out that the doctor was not part of her insurance plan and has been working with her insurance company for nearly a year now to try to adjust the costs. CNN iReport Do you
- [ACL Reconstruction Surgery: $30,877](https://www.americanpatient.org/acl-reconstruction-surgery-30877-2/) - Eric Cooks, 33, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was recently charged $30,877 for ACL reconstruction surgery. Thankfully, Cooks has insurance, but he was still shocked by the cost. “The healthcare system needs reform and I am not sure if the Affordable Care Act will be enough; these prices are crippling,” he said. “People are avoiding going to
- [Father Dies After Suffering Stroke and Neglect in the Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/father-dies-after-suffering-stroke-and-neglect-in-the-hospital-2/) - In February of 2010, my father, at the age of 89, was admitted to a hospital in Washington for an evaluation because he started showing signs of slight confusion. At his admission, he was in a fairly good state of health. He did not have any serious life threatening illness. However, he suddenly died at
- [Hospital Didn’t Inform Patient About Sedative Drug](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-didnt-inform-patient-about-sedative-drug-2/) - I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. I arrived at the hospital alert but with a dislocated hip and a fractured ankle. At the time of treatment I was told they needed x-rays and I would be getting something for pain. I asked the nurse what I was receiving she said morphine. So I
- [ER Misdiagnosis](https://www.americanpatient.org/er-negligence-2/) - I have an emergency room disaster story. I was awakened from my sleep struggling for my breath. I had to call an ambulance because the shortness of breath situation went on and on. I got to the emergency room; told the doctor and nurse and the triage person before them about what happened as I
- [In Debt for Wrong Coding](https://www.americanpatient.org/wrong-coding/) - I have often been over-charged in a hospital ER as well as an inpatient. There should always be statements given or sent to patients in simple terms that are easily understood by any person not associated with the medical field. Hospitals and doctor fee’s can be double charged by using the coding systems that are
- [Father Dies After Suffering Stroke and Neglect in the Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/father-dies-after-suffering-stroke-and-neglect-in-the-hospital/) - On February of 2010, my father, at the age of 89, was admitted to a hospital in Washington for an evaluation because he started showing signs of slight confusion. At his admission, he was in a fairly good state of health. He did not have any serious life threatening illness. However, he suddenly died at
- [Hospital Didn’t Inform About Sedative Drug](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-didnt-inform-patient-about-sedative-drug/) - I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. I arrived at the hospital alert but with a dislocated hip and a fractured ankle. At the time of treatment I was told they needed x-rays and I would be getting something for pain. I asked the nurse what I was receiving she said morphine. So I
- [James sat by his bedside, as any parent would, and wondered how this could happen.](https://www.americanpatient.org/james-sat-by-his-bedside-as-any-parent-would-and-wondered-how-this-could-happen/) - Alex James knew how to exhaust himself. It started on his childhood swim team when his coach, a whistle-blowing, red-faced caricature, demanded he swim to the end of the Olympic-sized pool and back again—without taking a breath. And then, he’d make him do it again. And again. And again. By Kevin Kunzmann & Jenna Payesko,
- [10 Mistakes People Make at Their Doctor Visits](https://www.americanpatient.org/13154-2/) - Faceboo Mistake 1: Not Preparing The average doctor’s appointment lasts about 18 minutes. Preparing ahead of time will help you get the most out of those minutes. Make lists so you have important information readily available. This includes your current medicines, refill requests, over-the-counter products, allergies, and medical problems. You should also note any symptoms
- [FDA Medical Device Recalls](https://www.americanpatient.org/2018-fda-medical-device-recalls/) - The FDA posts summaries of information about the most serious medical device recalls. These products are on the list because there is a reasonable chance that they could cause serious health problems or death. Use the yearly lists to find information about Class I medical device recalls and some Class II and III recalls of
- [FDA Drug Recalls](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-drug-recalls/) - A drug recall is the most effective way to protect the public from a defective or potentially harmful product. A recall is a voluntary action taken by a company at any time to remove a defective drug product from the market. The Drug Recall Listings include voluntary drug recalls in which public notification has been
- [25 Cities Where You Don’t Want to Get Sick](https://www.americanpatient.org/25-cities-where-you-dont-want-to-get-sick/) - 25. Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ > 30 day readmission rate:16.4% (highest 10%) > 30 day mortality rate:13.3% > Preventable hospitalizations: 48.6 per 1,000 patients > No. of physicians: 46.7 per 100,000 (lowest 10%) > Median household income: $45,508 (lowest 25%) By Thomas C. Frohlich, 247wallst.com. The Sierra Vista-Douglas metro area health system reports poor quality hospital care. The rates
- [Doctors Perform Thousands of Unnecessary Surgeries: Are You Getting One of Them?](https://www.americanpatient.org/doctors-perform-thousands-of-unnecessary-surgeries-are-you-getting-one-of-them/) - Summary: According to a USA Today review of government records and medical databases, tens of thousands of patients undergo unnecessary surgery each and every year• Among the most commonly performed unnecessary surgeries are cardiac angioplasties, pacemakers, back surgery, knee and hip surgeries, hysterectomy and Cesarean sections• Diagnostic errors are also problematic and may account for
- [Medicare Upcoding - Medical Billing Fraud](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-upcoding-medical-billing-fraud/) - When a provider treats a Medicare patient, the provider must tell Medicare what services were provided so that Medicare can reimburse the doctor the correct amount. Certain services have higher reimbursement amounts than others –a more serious condition will generally be more expensive for the provider to treat and thus, the provider receives additional reimbursement
- [Medical Bill Complaint Tool](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bill-compliant-tool/) - These days it’s not enough to have health insurance, pay your monthly premiums, and understand your co-pays and deductibles. Check out the Medical Bill/Insurance Complaint Tool to learn more on how and where to file a complaint for your "surprise" hospital bill.
- [Advance Directives, DNR's, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, POLST,  OH MY!](https://www.americanpatient.org/advance-directives-dnrs-powers-of-attorney-polst-oh-my/) - Living wills and other advance directives are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Advance directives guide choices for doctors and caregivers if you're terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or near the end of life. Advance
- [Denials / Appeals: What to Do When Your Insurance Company Denies You Coverage](https://www.americanpatient.org/denials-appeals-what-to-do-when-your-insurance-company-denies-you-coverage/) - What Is a Health Insurance Denial? A denial is when your health insurance company notifies you that it will not cover the cost of your medication or treatment. It can be frustrating and sometimes scary if you’re not able to fill a prescription, continue a treatment, or face paying the full cost of your treatment.
- [The ACA's Patients' Bill Of Rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/president-issues-the-patients-bill-of-rights/) - Patient's Bill of Rights from the Affordable Care Act. by Michael Woods, MD, HCA. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. The act covers your relationship with insurers, health plans, and everyone else in the healthcare system. It contains health insurance reforms that began in early 2014 and will be modified as
- [A $52,112 Air Ambulance Ride: Coronavirus Patients Battle Surprise Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-52112-air-ambulance-ride-coronavirus-patients-battle-surprise-bills/) - Congress was close to a solution before getting hit with millions of dollars of ads from private-equity firms. Then the pandemic struck. By Sarah Kliff, Oct. 13, 2020, The New York Times. An intubated coronavirus patient was declining rapidly when doctors decided to airlift her to a hospital with better critical care resources. “It’s life
- [A New Hippocratic Oath Asks Doctors To Fight Racial Injustice And Misinformation](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-new-hippocratic-oath-asks-doctors-to-fight-racial-injustice-and-misinformation/) - By SARAH BODEN, for WESA-FM, November 4, 2020. First-year medical student Sean Sweat "didn't want to tiptoe around" issues of race when she sat down with 11 of her classmates to write a new version of the medical profession's venerable Hippocratic oath. "We start our medical journey amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and a national civil
- [Getting Robbed at the Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/getting-robbed-at-the-hospital/) - By Amanda Buchanan - The Motley Fool. High hospital costs seem to be a fact of life that most Americans have reluctantly come to accept. What most people don't realize, however, is that not all of those charges are legit -- and in fact, many medical bills contain fraudulent charges. In 2010 alone, Medicare and
- [Bayer to pay $1.6B to settle thousands of US Essure injury claims](https://www.americanpatient.org/bayer-to-pay-1-6b-to-settle-thousands-of-us-essure-injury-claims/) - By Sasha Chavkin, ICIJ-International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Aug 26, 2020. The German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has agreed to pay $1.6 billion to settle tens of thousands of United States claims related to its birth control device Essure. Nearly 39,000 women across the U.S. had claims against Bayer after suffering health problems including severe pain,
- [Common Meds Tied to Faster Mental Decline in Seniors](https://www.americanpatient.org/common-meds-tied-to-faster-mental-decline-in-seniors/) - By Amy Norton, US News, Sep 03, 2020. A group of widely used medications might speed up older adults' mental decline -- especially if they are at increased risk of dementia, a new study hints. The medications in question are called anticholinergics, and they are used to treat a diverse range of conditions -- from
- [Nearly half of low-income communities have no ICU beds in their area](https://www.americanpatient.org/nearly-half-of-low-income-communities-have-no-icu-beds-in-their-area/) - By Juliet Isselbacher, STAT News, Aug 03, 2020. As Covid-19 continues to strain the country’s hospital system, new research exposes a striking gap in access to ICU care from one community to the next. The study, published Monday in Health Affairs, examined an area’s median household income compared to the number of ICU beds per
- [Lack of darker skin in textbooks and journals harms care for patients of color](https://www.americanpatient.org/lack-of-darker-skin-in-textbooks-and-journals-harms-care-for-patients-of-color/) - By Usha Lee McFarling, STAT News, Jul 21, 2020. When dermatologist Jenna Lester learned that rashes on skin and toes were a symptom of Covid-19, she started searching the medical literature for images of what the rashes looked like on Black skin, so she’d recognize it in her Black patients. She couldn’t find a single
- [How to Complain About Poor Medical Care Received in a Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-complain-about-poor-medical-care-received-in-a-hospital/) - While you are in the hospital: If possible, first bring your complaints to your doctor and nurses. Be as specific as you can and ask how your complaint can be resolved. You can also ask to speak to a hospital social worker who can help solve problems and identify resources. Social workers also organize services and
- [Communication Failures Linked to 1,744 Deaths in Five Years](https://www.americanpatient.org/communication-failures-linked-to-1744-deaths-in-five-years-us-malpractice-study-finds/) - By MELISSA BAILEY, for STAT. Hospitals and doctors’ offices nationwide might have avoided nearly 2,000 patient deaths — and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs — if medical staff and patients communicated better, a report released Monday has found. Communication failures were a factor in 30 percent of the malpractice cases examined by CRICO Strategies, a
- [Predatory Medical Billing In Texas](https://www.americanpatient.org/predatory-medical-billing-in-texas/) - Report on Predatory Medical Billing In Texas Names 28 Hospitals And A Dallas Law Firm By SAM BAKER, KERA News, JUN 1, 2020. The May 27 report from a healthcare research and policy team at Johns Hopkins University found 28 hospitals (22 in the state) have sued patients in Texas for unpaid hospital bills since
- [Social Security Error Jeopardizes Coverage for 250,000 Seniors](https://www.americanpatient.org/8177-2/) - Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors By Susan Jaffe, SHOTS NPR, Kaiser Health News, June 06, 2019. A quarter of a million Medicare beneficiaries may be receiving bills for as many as five months of premiums they thought they had already paid. But they shouldn't toss the letter in the garbage. It's
- [Phantom Medicare Billing](https://www.americanpatient.org/phantom-medicare-billing/) - What is Phantom Billing? By Berger Montague Attorneys. Medicare fraud broadly refers to any individual, company or corporation who acts intentionally to steal money from the federal government. “Phantom billing” is a specific kind of Medicare fraud, as well as the most common. Phantom billing occurs when healthcare providers submit claims for reimbursement to the government
- [Clean Hands Count for Safe Healthcare](https://www.americanpatient.org/clean-hands-count-for-safe-healthcare/) - From the Centers for Disease Control. Clean hands can protect you from serious infections while you are a patient in a healthcare facility. What’s The Problem? Most germs that cause serious infections in healthcare are spread by people’s actions. Hand hygiene is a great way to prevent infections. However, studies show that on average, healthcare
- [Heart Attack - Cardiac Risk Test](https://www.americanpatient.org/heart-attack-cardiac-risk-test/) - This heart disease risk assessment is most accurate for people between ages 20 and 74. For people younger than 20 or older than 74, the presence of two or more cardiovascular risk factors suggests higher risk of cardiovascular disease. From The Mayo Clinic. Cardiac risk test.
- [FDA Warning to Patients With Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants](https://www.americanpatient.org/information-for-patients-who-have-metal-on-metal-hip-implants/) - From the FDA. How do I know if I have a metal-on-metal hip implant? Patients are usually told about the type of implant they are receiving prior to the surgery. If you are uncertain about which type you have, you should contact the orthopaedic surgeon who performed your procedure. How often should I follow-up with
- [Before Scheduling a Surgical Procedure](https://www.americanpatient.org/before-scheduling-a-surgical-procedure/) - If you are facing surgery, take the time to learn about the surgery your doctor has recommended so you understand what's involved and feel comfortable that it's the best treatment. You should also take the time to find the right surgeon and hospital and to ask your surgeon questions to make sure the operation is
- [Justice Department Joins Medicare Advantage $1B Fraud Lawsuit Against UnitedHealth](https://www.americanpatient.org/justice-department-joins-medicare-advantage-1b-fraud-lawsuit-against-unitedhealth/) - By Shelby Livingston, Modern Healthcare. The U.S. Justice Department has joined a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming that UnitedHealth Group and affiliated health plans have been gaming the Medicare program and fraudulently collecting millions of dollars by claiming patients were sicker than they really were. The lawsuit, initially brought in 2011 and unsealed Thursday after a five-year investigation by
- [Did the Doctor Make a Mistake?](https://www.americanpatient.org/did-the-doctor-make-a-mistake/) - What Patients and Families Should Do Following a Potential Medical Error. Not all Bad Outcomes are Medical Errors or Malpractice. Many errors do happen in medical settings, but not every bad outcome is caused by error or malpractice. Medicine has its limitations. Prior to any surgery or treatment, learn the risks. What to Do Following
- [Heartburn Drugs used by 50 million Americans Linked to an Increased Risk of Death](https://www.americanpatient.org/heartburn-drugs-used-by-50-million-americans-linked-to-an-increased-risk-of-death/) - By Anne Harding. July 5, 2017. Reuters. Nexium is one of the drugs that research has tied to an increased risk of death. Widely used heartburn drugs are associated with increased risk of death, and the longer a person uses the drugs, the greater the risk, new research suggests. Proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, have been
- [Can Patients Make Recordings of Medical Encounters?](https://www.americanpatient.org/can-patients-make-recordings-of-medical-encounters/) - For many doctors it is possible that some of their patients are recording their office visit, with or without permission. In a cross-sectional survey administered to the general public in the United Kingdom, 19 of 128 respondents (15%) indicated that they had secretly recorded a clinic visit, and 14 of 128 respondents (11%) were aware
- [SURGICAL STAPLER LAWSUITS](https://www.americanpatient.org/surgical-stapler-lawsuits/) - By Jane Mundy, forlawyersandsettlements.com. Surgical stapler lawsuits aimed at medical device manufacturers claim that these defective surgical staplers have caused serious injuries—for many years: The majority of complications were concealed from the public by the FDA in a “hidden database” and have just recently been made public. DEFECTIVE SURGICAL STAPLERS Surgical staplers, also known as
- [Many Hospitals Charge More Than Twice What Medicare Pays for the Same Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/many-hospitals-charge-more-than-twice-what-medicare-pays-for-the-same-care/) - The gap between rates set for private insurers and employers vs. those by the federal government stirs the debate over a government-run health plan. By Reed Abelson, The New York Times, Sept. 18, 2020. Hospitals across the country are charging private insurance companies 2.5 times what they get from Medicare for the same care, according to
- [Are FDA Approval Processes Causing Medical Device Failures?](https://www.americanpatient.org/are-fda-approval-processes-causing-medical-device-failures/) - By Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. On the heels of a report from the General Accounting Office criticizing the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handles approvals of medical devices (such as the DePuy artificial hip), the U.S. Institute of Medicine issued a report recommending an overhaul of the approval process. The vast majority
- [2020 Scorecard on Health System Performance by State](https://www.americanpatient.org/2020-scorecard-on-health-system-performance-by-state/) - A state-by-state report measuring access to care, quality of care, health outcomes, and health disparities across the United States by David C. Radley, Sara R. Collins, and Jesse C. Baumgartner for The Commonwealth Fund. See the rankings here.
- [Surgery to Avoid](https://www.americanpatient.org/surgery-to-avoid/) - Even Minor Procedures Come With Major Risks The four operations discussed below are often over performed. Some are moneymakers for doctors and hospitals, others are expedient and still others seem to work, at least in the short term. But evidence shows that all have questionable long-term outcomes for treating certain conditions, and some may even
- [How to Reduce Your Risk of Falls in the Hospital ](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-reduce-your-risk-of-falls-in-the-hospital/) - Falls are a common and devastating complication of hospital care, particularly in elderly patients. Epidemiologic studies have found that falls occur at a rate of 3–5 per 1000 bed-days, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that 700,000 to 1 million hospitalized patients fall each year. Patients in long-term care facilities are also at very high risk
- [FEMA Sends Faulty Protective Gear to Nursing Homes Battling Virus](https://www.americanpatient.org/fema-sends-faulty-protective-gear-to-nursing-homes-battling-virus/) - Article Summary: The controversy over inadequate protective equipment has come to embody what critics describe as a haphazard federal effort to protect the 1.5 million Americans who live in nursing homes. By: Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times, Jul 24, 2020. Expired surgical masks. Isolation gowns that resemble oversize trash bags. Extra-small gloves that are
- [Ever Heard of a Surgical Assistant? Meet a New Boost to Your Medical Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/ever-heard-of-a-surgical-assistant-meet-a-new-boost-to-your-medical-bills/) - Article Summary: Surgical Assistant’s presence during a surgery leads to a costly surprise medical bill. By Markian Hawryluk, KHN, Jul 22, 2020 Izzy Benasso was playing a casual game of tennis with her father on a summer Saturday when she felt her knee pop. She had torn a meniscus, one of the friction- reducing pads
- [2021 Health Plans Granted Leeway To Limit Consumers’ Benefit From Drug Coupons](https://www.americanpatient.org/2021-health-plans-granted-leeway-to-limit-consumers-benefit-from-drug-coupons/) - Article Summary: A new federal rule will make it harder for patients with conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis that rely on expensive drugs without generics, to face higher out-of-pocket costs. By Ellen Gabler, Michelle Andrews, KHN, Jul 06, 2020 Without medication to manage her plaque psoriasis, Jennifer Brown’s face, scalp, trunk and neck periodically
- [Shingles Vaccination Rate Soars But Cost Leaves Many  Behind](https://www.americanpatient.org/shingles-vaccination-rate-soars-but-cost-leaves-many-behind/) - Article Summary: Many medicare beneficiaries and uninsured Americans are opting out of getting Shingles vaccination due to cost barriers. By Phil Galewitz, KHN, Jul 09, 2020. Worried about the high cost of the copayment for the shingles vaccine, Jacky Felder, a Medicare beneficiary, opted against getting immunized last year. Last month, the Green Bay, Wisconsin,
- [Fight Medical Bills and Win](https://www.americanpatient.org/fight-hospital-bills-and-win/) - Dispute a Medical Bill and Reduce Your Payment. When disputing a bill, it's important that you do your research and understand what happened and what's going on. That way you can help troubleshoot the problem without passing blame. Customer service reps will be much happier to work with you if you adapt this approach. Second,
- [How to Get Your Doctor to Take You Seriously](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-get-your-doctor-to-take-you-seriously/) - Advice from patients, physicians, and advocates on making sure your concerns are heard. Around 12 years ago, at age 19, Brittany Bella Graham began experiencing severe lower-back pain and a constant throbbing ache in her right side. “It felt like a swift kick,” she recalls, “almost like someone was hitting me in the ribs.” .
- [Most Coronavirus Tests Cost About $100. Why Did One Cost $2,315](https://www.americanpatient.org/most-coronavirus-tests-cost-about-100/) - By Sarah Kliff, The New York Times, Jun 16, 2020. In a one-story brick building in suburban Dallas, between a dentist office and a family medicine clinic, is a medical laboratory that has run some of the most expensive coronavirus tests in America. Insurers have paid Gibson Diagnostic Labs as much as $2,315 for individual
- [These Drugs Can Cause Memory Loss](https://www.americanpatient.org/these-drugs-can-cause-memory-loss/) - Can a heartburn drug cause cognitive problems? By Matthew Solan, Harvard Men's Health Watch. POSTED MARCH 21, 2016, 9:30 AM , UPDATED JUNE 23, 2020. A new study has shed light on one of the long-term effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These drugs are commonly used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, and
- [Common Medications Can Masquerade As Dementia In Seniors](https://www.americanpatient.org/common-medications-can-masquerade-as-dementia-in-seniors/) - “Drug-Induced/Iatrogenic Dementia: A Perfect Crime” By all accounts, the woman, in her late 60s, appeared to have severe dementia. She was largely incoherent. Her short-term memory was terrible. She couldn’t focus on questions that medical professionals asked her. By Judith Graham, KHN News. But Dr. Malaz Boustani, a professor of aging research at Indiana University School
- [Patient access to their doctor's notes leads to better care, study finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-access-to-their-doctors-notes-leads-to-better-care-study-finds/) - From Consumer Reports. Are you interested in reading the medical notes your doctor writes about you? Some ten thousand patients around the country recently had that chance. And both they, and their doctors, said it led to better care. More than 100 doctors in Boston, Seattle, and Danville, Pa., participated in the study, called OpenNotes,
- [Health Care Billing Still Too Murky](https://www.americanpatient.org/healthcare-billing-still-too-murky/) - Source: The Tampa Bay Times. Determining the true cost of health care remains difficult, despite the government’s recent release of valuable data about medical billing. Nationwide, doctors and hospitals engage in complex billing schemes that leave consumers largely in the dark until they get their bills. Health care reform continues to fall short in creating
- [Medicare Plans' Upcoding Cost Billions](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-plans-upcoding-cost-billions/) - By Center for Public Integrity. Four years ago, Medicare auditors came to an alarming conclusion: the federal government shouldn’t have paid a half-dozen insurance plans hundreds of millions of dollars to treat seniors in especially poor health. The findings signaled that billing errors could be deeply rooted within private Medicare Advantage plans — which contract
- [Informed Consent](https://www.americanpatient.org/informed-consent/) - Informed consent is the process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention. The patient must be competent to make a voluntary decision about whether to undergo the procedure or intervention. Informed consent is both an ethical and legal obligation of medical
- [Half Of U.S. States To Fall Short Of White House Goal On Nursing Home Testing](https://www.americanpatient.org/half-of-u-s-states-to-fall-short-of-white-house-goal-on-nursing-home-testing/) - By Jack Brewster, Forbes, May 24, 2020. At least half of U.S. states will not meet a White House goal on nursing home testing due to costs and a lack of resources, an Associated Press analysis found, in another indication of the patchwork response to the pandemic in the absence of a coordinated national response.
- [Dialysis Patients Panic As Financial ‘Life Raft’ Becomes Unmoored](https://www.americanpatient.org/dialysis-patients-panic-as-financial-life-raft-becomes-unmoored/) - By Ana B. Ibarra, KHN, Nov 14, 2019. Russell Desmond received a letter a few weeks ago from the American Kidney Fund that he said felt like “a smack on the face.” The organization informed Desmond, who has kidney failure and needs dialysis three times a week, that it will no longer help him pay
- [U.S. States Accuse 26 Drugmakers of Generic Drug Price Fixing in Sweeping Lawsuit](https://www.americanpatient.org/u-s-states-accuse-26-drugmakers-of-generic-drug-price-fixing-in-sweeping-lawsuit/) - By Diane Bartz & Jonathan Stempel, Reuters, Jun 10, 2020. Twenty-six drug manufacturers were sued on Wednesday by the attorneys general of most U.S. states and several territories, which accused them of conspiring to reduce competition and drive up generic drug prices. The lawsuit accused Novartis’ Sandoz unit, Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Actavis unit, Mylan, Pfizer Inc
- [Race Factors Into Medical Decision-Making](https://www.americanpatient.org/race-factors-into-medical-decision-making/) - By Gina Kolata, The New York Times, Jun 17, 2020. Unbeknown to most patients, their race is incorporated into numerous medical decision-making tools and formulas that doctors consult to decide treatment for a range of conditions and services, including heart disease, cancer and maternity care, according to a new paper published Wednesday in the New
- [APRA Files Amicus Brief Motion to the Supreme Court of North Carolina](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-files-amicus-brief-motion-to-the-supreme-court-of-north-carolina/) - May 4, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mount Dora, Fla. - The American Patient Rights Association (APRA) is looking out for those who find themselves in the hospital. Consistent with its mission and vision, the APRA filed an Amicus Brief, or “friend-of-the-court” brief, in the North Carolina Supreme Court against a prominent hospital in Eastern North
- [Common Medications Causing Hearing Loss](https://www.americanpatient.org/common-medications-causing-hearing-loss/) - Because the ear is very sensitive to changes in overall health, smokers and those with high blood pressure are more likely to develop hearing loss due to the impact on their cardiovascular health, while those who clench or grind their teeth at night can develop a high-pitched ringing in their ears. Similarly, certain medications that alter the
- [Medications to Avoid](https://www.americanpatient.org/medications-to-avoid/) - There are many medications that are dangerous, especially to older people, and should be avoided if at all possible or if another medication with less serious side effects is available. USE WITH CAUTIONNon-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) used to reduce pain and inflammation AVOID long-acting NSAIDs like indomethacin (Indocin) and piroxicam (Feldene).• Shorter-acting NSAIDs like ibuprofen
- [How to Appeal a Rejected Medical Claim ](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-appeal-a-rejected-medical-claim/) - You recently had a medical procedure, but now your insurance won't pay for it. If that's what you are facing, you're likely frustrated and upset. But don't panic. You may be able to get your plan to reverse its decision. Step 1: Review Your Policy and Paperwork Step 2: Know Who to Call for Answers Step 3: Learn
- [Is your hospital failing?](https://www.americanpatient.org/is-your-hospital-failing/) - ​By Jessica Firger, CBS News. Many people are aware that visiting a hospital can put their health at risk in a number of ways. But even a patient who knows what to look out for and which precautions to take may not be doing enough to truly safeguard their health, since some U.S. hospitals
- [Why Don’t Patients Report Medical Errors?](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-dont-patients-report-medical-errors/) - By Marshall Allen, ProPublica. I was recently browsing through the nearly 200 stories we’ve compiled with our Patient Harm Questionnaire, when I was reminded again of a troubling truth. Many of the people who suffer harm while undergoing medical care do not file formal complaints with regulators. The reasons are numerous: They’re often traumatized, disabled, unaware they’ve
- [FDA Hides Information on Dangerous Devices From Patients and Doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/hidden-fda-reports-detail-harm-caused-by-scores-of-medical-devices/) - By Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News. Ed. - FDA scientists who speak up about patient safety concerns have been fired in retaliation, according to a Congressional investigation. The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, which leave doctors and medical sleuths
- [Are Your Medical Records Private](https://www.americanpatient.org/your-medical-records-are-not-private/) - Like most Americans, you probably believe: What you tell your doctor is totally private If you sign “privacy notices” at a doctor’s office, a pharmacy, a hospital or a lab your health records will not be used or disclosed without your permission No one can look at your sensitive health records, prescriptions, or tests without
- [The Biggest Mistakes Doctors Make](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-biggest-mistakes-doctors-make/) - Misdiagnoses are harmful and costly. But they're often preventable. A patient with abdominal pain dies from a ruptured appendix after a doctor fails to do a complete physical exam. A biopsy comes back positive for prostate cancer, but no one follows up when the lab result gets misplaced. A child's fever and rash are diagnosed
- [Should You Have Surgery in a Hospital or Outpatient Surgery Center?](https://www.americanpatient.org/should-you-have-surgery-in-a-hospital-or-outpatient-surgery-center/) - What is outpatient surgery? With improved technology and advances in anesthesia and pain control, many less invasive surgical procedures are now being performed on an outpatient, or ambulatory, basis. Common procedures that are now routinely performed on an outpatient basis include tonsillectomies, hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, some cosmetic surgeries, and cataract surgeries. Given the millions
- [Medical Forms for Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-forms-for-patients/) - APRA offers these free medical forms for patients including: Medical History Checklist, Pocket Travel Medical Info, Family Medical History, Medical History Chart and Medical History with Medications List for patients to download. Medical History Checklist Family Medical History Medical History Chart Medical History with Medications List Travel Medical Information Medication Log
- [10 Black Box Warnings Patients Should Be Aware Of](https://www.americanpatient.org/10-black-box-warnings-every-physician-should-know/) - Researchers have shown that nearly one-third of all FDA-approved novel therapeutics require new boxed warnings after hitting the market. With over 600 medications carrying boxed warnings and over 40% of patients receiving at least one medication with a black box warning, it’s important for patients as well healthcare providers to be aware of commonly prescribed
- [What to Do If You Are Denied Access to Your Medical Records](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-to-do-if-you-are-denied-access-to-your-medical-records/) - Just because the law says you have a right to get copies of your medical records doesn't mean all covered entities are willing to supply them. Your doctor or your insurer may deny you access for reasons that make no sense to you, but for some reason are important to them. In most cases, it's illegal for
- [The Danger of Taking Your Own Medicine While In The Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-danger-of-taking-your-own-medicine-while-in-the-hospital/) - Bringing your own medications from home and taking them while in the hospital has resulted in hundreds of medication errors over the years. If you bring your own medicines to the hospital, give them to the nurse. Do not take them without the nurse’s supervision because doing so may interfere with another drug you are
- [Millions of Americans’ Medical Images and Data Are Available on the Internet. Anyone Can Take a Peek.](https://www.americanpatient.org/millions-of-americans-medical-images-and-data-are-available-on-the-internet-anyone-can-take-a-peek-2/) - By Jack Gillum, Jeff Kao and Jeff Larson, for ProPublica. Sep 17, 2019. Medical images and health data belonging to millions of Americans, including X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, are sitting unprotected on the internet and available to anyone with basic computer expertise. The records cover more than 5 million patients in the U.S. and
- [Amid Pandemic, FDA Seizes Cheaper Drugs From Canada](https://www.americanpatient.org/amid-pandemic-fda-seizes-cheaper-drugs-from-canada/) - By Phil Galewitz, KHN, Apr 20, 2020. The Food and Drug Administration in the past month has stepped up seizures of prescription drugs being sent to American customers from pharmacies in Canada and other countries, according to operators of stores in Florida that facilitate the transactions. While seizures at the nation’s international mail facilities have
- [Nursing Home Outbreak Spotlights Coronavirus Risk In Elder Care Facilities](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-home-outbreak-spotlights-coronavirus-risk-in-elder-care-facilities/) - By JoNel Aleccia, KHN, Mar 01, 2020. The cluster of illness is the first of its type in the U.S., where 2.2 million people live in long-term care settings and may be at heightened risk because of age and underlying health conditions. “We are very concerned about an outbreak in a setting where there are
- [Nursing home mogul Philip Esformes sentenced to 20 years for $1.3 billion Medicaid fraud](https://www.americanpatient.org/9041-2/) - Photo Credit Rob Latour / Rob Latour/Invision/AP By DAVID JACKSON and MARIO ARIZA, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, SEP 13, 2019. Former Illinois and Florida nursing home mogul Philip Esformes wept and pleaded for mercy Thursday before being sentenced to 20 years in prison for what the U.S. Justice Department called the largest single health care bribery and kickback scheme in American history.
- [Essential Drug Supplies for Virus Patients Are Running Low](https://www.americanpatient.org/10401-2/) - By Knvul Sheikh, The New York Times, Apr 02, 2020. Across the country, as hospitals confront a harrowing surge in coronavirus cases, they are also beginning to report shortages of critical medications — especially those desperately needed to ease the disease’s assault on patients’ respiratory systems. The most commonly reported shortages include drugs that are
- [FDA Warns of Defective EpiPen Dangers](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-warns-of-defective-epipen-dangers/) - By Robert Preidt, U.S. News, Mar 25, 2020. Certain types of EpiPens and their generic counterparts may fail or delay injection of lifesaving epinephrine for severe allergic reactions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. Problems may occur in EpiPen 0.3 mg and EpiPen Jr 0.15 mg auto-injectors and authorized generic versions due to device
- [Insurers Cover Fewer Drugs, Leaving Some Patients Struggling To Get Needed Treatments](https://www.americanpatient.org/insurers-cover-fewer-drugs-leaving-some-patients-struggling-to-get-needed-treatments/) - By Sydney Lupkin, NPR Shots, Mar 16, 2020. It took years for Leslie Miller to find the prescription drug that worked for her. But in December, she got a letter from her insurer that the medicine would no longer be covered by her insurance plan starting January 1. "My heart started racing immediately," says Miller,
- [Hiring a Private Patient or Health Advocate](https://www.americanpatient.org/cost-to-hire-a-private-patient-or-health-advocate/) - Price vs. Quality and Value Are Considerations. Do you need to hire a private patient advocate to help with your healthcare? When you are sick or debilitated, it's impossible to figure out how to get the best from the healthcare system, or how to be sure you aren't being taken for a ride. Knowing that
- [State Medical Records Laws](https://www.americanpatient.org/state-medical-records-laws/) - Medical records privacy laws outline patients' rights to secrecy of their medical information, and the circumstances under which that information may (or must) be disclosed. Choose a link from the list below for state-specific laws on privacy of medical records, including who may access medical records, what conditions must be reported by health care providers,
- [There's A Strong Chance You Are Paying For Expensive Medical Billing Mistakes](https://www.americanpatient.org/theres-a-strong-chance-you-are-paying-for-expensive-medical-billing-mistakes/) - “There’s a reason you can’t understand your hospital bill. Nobody wants you to." By Ann Brenoff, Huffpost, 05/17/2017 | Updated May 17, 2017. Medical bills are the gift that keeps on giving. Having lost my husband in January, I can attest that not even death puts an end to the steady stream of bills for his care
- [Woman Sued by Alabama Hospital Over $31K Bill: 'I wish you'd have let me die'](https://www.americanpatient.org/woman-sued-by-alabama-hospital-over-31k-bill-i-wish-youd-have-let-me-die/) - By Ayla Ellison, Beckers Hospital Report, Feb. 25, 2020. An Alabama woman received an emergency appendectomy at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Ala., in May 2016. Three years later, the hospital sued her for nearly $37,000, which included a $31,000 bill plus interest, according to CBS News. KC Roberts didn't have insurance at the time of
- [Federal Patient Safety Act Protects Hospital's Infection Data From Patient Lawsuit](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-safety-act-protects-hospitals-infection-prevention-data/) - by Mary Anne Pazanowski, Bloomberg Law. Sept. 27, 2019. A patient who contracted an infection following an elective hospital procedure may not access information related to the hospital’s infection prevention guidelines, a federal court in Pennsylvania said. Documents produced by Robert Packer Hospital’s patient safety organization for the purpose of improving patient safety fell within
- [Tenet to Pay $1.4M to Settle Medically Unnecessary Implant Suit](https://www.americanpatient.org/tenet-to-pay-1-4m-to-settle-medically-unnecessary-implant-suit/) - By Alia Paavola, Beckers Hospital Review, February 12th, 2020. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and one of its hospitals in Palm Springs, Calif., will pay $1.41 million to resolve allegations that they knowingly charged Medicare for implanting unnecessary cardiac monitors in patients in violation of the False Claims Act, the U.S. Justice Department said. The lawsuit claims that surgeons
- [1 in 5 Patients Receive Surprise Bills After Elective Surgery](https://www.americanpatient.org/1-in-5-patients-receive-surprise-bills-after-elective-surgery/) - By Morgan Haefner, Becker's Hospital Report, Feb.12, 2020. Studies have shown 1 in every 6 emergency room visits and inpatient hospital stays for patients with health insurance through their employer led to at least one out-of-network medical bill in 2017. Researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and
- [Surgeons Sue SUNY, Allege Retaliation for Reporting Patient Safety Concerns](https://www.americanpatient.org/surgeons-sue-suny-allege-retaliation-for-reporting-patient-safety-concerns/) - Emily Rappleye, Beckers Hospital Review, Jan. 23, 2020. Albany-based State University of New York and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in New York City face a lawsuit from two surgeons, who allege the organization retaliated against them for voicing patient safety concerns, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit was filed in December
- [Beware Safety Risks Posed by 'Off-Label' Drug Use](https://www.americanpatient.org/beware-safety-risks-posed-by-off-label-drug-use/) - Study raises concerns about using meds to treat conditions for which they weren't approved By Karen Pallarito, HealthDay News, Nov. 2, 2015. "Off-label" drug use puts patients at risk for serious side effects, especially when scientific evidence is lacking, a new study finds. Physicians prescribe "off-label" when they recommend drugs for uses that have not been
- [Health System Grinding Good Docs Out of Existence, Harming Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-system-grinding-good-docs-out-of-existence-harming-patients/) - By Melissa Bailey, KHN.org, FEBRUARY 4, 2020. Excerpts from the original article. Dr. Keith Corl was working in a Las Vegas emergency room when a patient arrived with chest pain. The patient, wearing his street clothes, had a two-minute exam in the triage area with a doctor, who ordered an X-ray and several other tests. But
- [Home Health Care Is Suddenly Harder To Come By For Medicare Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/home-health-care-is-suddenly-harder-to-come-by-for-medicare-patients/) - By Judith Graham, KHN.org, FEBRUARY 3, 2020. The decision came out of the blue. “Your husband isn’t going to get any better, so we can’t continue services,” an occupational therapist told Deloise “Del” Holloway in early November. “Medicare isn’t going to pay for it.” The therapist handed Del a notice explaining why the home health agency she
- [Orlando Health Hit with $100M Defamation Suit by Fired Physician Who Alleged Illegal Activities](https://www.americanpatient.org/orlando-health-hit-with-100m-defamation-suit-by-fired-physician-who-alleged-illegal-activities/) - By Ayla Ellison, Becker's Hospital Review. A Florida plastic surgeon filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Orlando (Fla.) Health Aug. 21, alleging he was fired and made the target of a smear campaign for pointing out unethical and illegal conduct between Orlando Health and Allergan, a pharmaceutical company. In his lawsuit, which is pending
- [Federal Regulators: Newark Beth Israel Put Patients in “Immediate Jeopardy”](https://www.americanpatient.org/federal-regulators-newark-beth-israel-put-patients-in-immediate-jeopardy/) - By Caroline Chen, ProPublica, Jan 17, 2020. Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s heart and lung transplant program was putting patients in “immediate jeopardy” before the hospital began to implement corrective measures, according to federal regulators. In a pair of reports sent to the Newark, New Jersey, hospital on Dec. 12, the Centers for Medicare and
- [Amid serious violations at Washington’s private psychiatric hospitals, a regulator remained on the sidelines](https://www.americanpatient.org/amid-serious-violations-at-washingtons-private-psychiatric-hospitals-a-regulator-remained-on-the-sidelines/) - By Daniel Gilbert, The Seattle Times, Dec 30, 2019. The patient had been admitted to Smokey Point Behavioral Hospital on a 90-day involuntary commitment order. But when his health-insurance plan sent a team to check on him, some 20 days into his stay, he was gone. Representatives of the Community Health Plan of Washington, which provides
- [FDA Approves Drugs Faster Than Ever But Relies On Weaker Evidence, Researchers Find ](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-approves-drugs-faster-than-ever-but-relies-on-weaker-evidence-researchers-find/) - By Sydney Lupkin, NPR Shots, Jan 14, 2020. The Food and Drug Administration has gotten faster at approving new prescription drugs over the past four decades, but the evidence it relies on in making those decisions is getting weaker, according to new research published Tuesday. As a result, there are more cures and treatments on
- [Teen Girls Don't Need Routine Pelvic Exams. Why Are Doctors Doing So Many?](https://www.americanpatient.org/teen-girls-dont-need-routine-pelvic-exams-why-are-doctors-doing-so-many/) - By Emily Vaughn, NPR Shots, Jan 09, 2020. An estimated 1.4 million adolescent girls and young women in the U.S. might have received an unnecessary pelvic exam between 2011 and 2017, according to a new study. And an estimated 1.6 million might have received an unnecessary Pap test. The authors of the study, which was
- [Effort To Control Opioids In An ER Leaves Some Sickle Cell Patients In Pain](https://www.americanpatient.org/effort-to-control-opioids-in-an-er-leaves-some-sickle-cell-patients-in-pain/) - By Sam Whitehead, NPR Shots, Jan 02, 2020. India Hardy has lived with pain since she was a toddler — from dull persistent aches to acute flare-ups that interrupt the flow of her normal life. The pain is from sickle cell disease, a group of genetic conditions that affect about 100,000 people in the U.S.,
- [Choosing Your Health Care Agent](https://www.americanpatient.org/choosing-your-health-care-agent/) - Name the best person to direct your medical care if you are unable to do so yourself. When you make a durable power of attorney for health care, the most important decision you will face is deciding who your health care agent should be. (In your state, this person may also be called a health
- [Medical Bankruptcy and the Economy](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bankruptcy-and-the-economy/) - Do Medical Bills Really Devastate America's Families? BY KIMBERLY AMADEO, the Balance, Updated November 19, 2019. Medical bills are reported to be the number one cause of U.S. bankruptcies. One study has claimed that 62% of bankruptcies were caused by medical issues. Another claims that over 2 million people are adversely affected by their medical expenses. Reports from different
- [Orthopedic surgeon files whistle-blower lawsuit against Orlando Health, Physician Associates](https://www.americanpatient.org/orthopedic-surgeon-files-whistle-blower-lawsuit-against-orlando-health-physician-associates/) - By NASEEM S. MILLER, ORLANDO SENTINEL, JAN. 13, 2020. An orthopedic surgeon has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against Orlando Health and three of its subsidiaries, alleging that his superiors violated federal laws by requiring him to perform surgeries and make referrals within the Orlando Health network only and then fired him when he refused to comply. Dr. Ayman
- [Hospitals Are More Profitable When They Make Medical Mistakes](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-are-more-profitable-when-they-make-medical-mistakes/) - From The Davis Law Group, Feb. 19, 2019. Because of the multi-million dollar lawsuits and disciplinary sanctions that typically result from medical errors and other forms of hospital negligence, it has long been understood that it would be in the best interest of both hospital patients and the hospital itself to avoid medical errors at
- [Patient Safety Report: Not All Same-day Surgery Center Doctors are Board Certified](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-safety-report-not-all-same-day-surgery-center-doctors-are-board-certified/) - By Ken Alltucker and Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, Oct.22, 2019. More than 1 in 3 outpatient surgery centers employ doctors who are not board-certified in their respective medical specialty, according to a survey by the Leapfrog Group. Leapfrog, a nonprofit that rates hospitals also reported nearly 30% of providers who provide anesthesia at doctor-owned centers
- [Blood Transfusions Still Overused and May Do More Harm Than Good in Some Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/blood-transfusions-still-overused-and-may-do-more-harm-than-good-in-some-patients/) - By Anna Medaris Miller, Contributor, U.S. News. March 30, 2015. Red blood cell transfusions are one of the most common procedure in U.S. hospitals, but nearly 60 percent globally were deemed "inappropriate" procedures by a 2011 study. Other research shows the more blood cells a patient receives, the higher his or her risk for infection. Some studies have even found the procedures to boost risk for
- [New Jersey hospital gave wrong patient a kidney transplant](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-jersey-hospital-gave-wrong-patient-a-kidney-transplant/) - By Natalie Musumeci, New York Post, November 27, 2019. A New Jersey patient was accidentally put at the top of a transplant list and received a kidney meant for someone else — who happened to have the same name. Miraculously, the patient was also a match for the misdirected organ — and the intended recipient
- [Rx for Doctors: Stop With the Urine Tests](https://www.americanpatient.org/rx-for-doctors-stop-with-the-urine-tests/) - By Paula Span, The New York Times, October 14, 2019. It’s such a common routine in a doctor’s office or clinic or hospital that patients tend to comply without thinking: Step on the scale, roll up your sleeve for the blood pressure cuff, urinate into a cup. But that last request should prompt questions, at
- [Watchdog Group Surveys Outpatient Surgery Facilities For Safety and Quality](https://www.americanpatient.org/watchdog-group-surveys-outpatient-surgery-facilities-for-safety-and-quality/) - By Christopher Cheney, HealthLeaders Media, October 29, 2019. For the first time, The Leapfrog Group has collected patient safety and quality information about ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). KEY TAKEAWAYS Only 18% of ASCs reported they had adopted antimicrobial stewardship programs. Pediatric advanced life support was identified as a "potential gap"
- [Top 10 Medical Technology Hazards of 2020 Announced](https://www.americanpatient.org/top-10-medical-technology-hazards-of-2020-announced/) - By Christopher Cheney, HealthLeaders Media, October 08, 2019. Surgical staplers are the top medical technology hazard for 2020, according to the ECRI Institute. Twenty years after publication of the Institute of Medicine's landmark report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, patient safety remains a significant concern for the healthcare sector. The Institute
- [The Startlingly High Cost Of The ‘Free’ Flu Shot](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-startlingly-high-cost-of-the-free-flu-shot/) - By Phil Galewitz, KHN, Nov 19, 2019. In the Byzantine world of health care pricing, most people wouldn’t expect that the ubiquitous flu shot could be a prime example of how the system’s lack of transparency can lead to disparate costs. The Affordable Care Act requires health insurers to cover all federally recommended vaccines at
- [Nursing Home Safety Violations Put Residents At Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-home-safety-violations-put-residents-at-risk-report-finds/) - By Barbara Feder Ostrov, KHN, Nov 14, 2019. As huge swaths of California burned last fall, federal health officials descended on 20 California nursing homes to determine whether they were prepared to protect their vulnerable residents from fires, earthquakes and other disasters. The results of their surprise inspections, which took place from September to December
- [Low-rated US hospitals are deadlier due to mistakes, botched surgery, infections](https://www.americanpatient.org/low-rated-us-hospitals-are-deadlier-due-to-mistakes-botched-surgery-infections/) - By Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY, May 15, 2019. Patients' risk of dying from medical mistakes, deadly infections and safety lapses have gotten much worse at the lowest ranked U.S. hospitals, underscoring Americans' need to check ratings of their local hospitals, new research released Wednesday shows. The new analysis is based on data gleaned from about
- [Leading Medical Specialty Societies Identify 90 Tests and Treatments to Question](https://www.americanpatient.org/leading-medical-specialty-societies-identify-90-tests-and-treatments-to-question/) - Seventeen leading medical specialty societies have identified specific tests, procedures or medication therapies they say are commonly ordered, but which are not always necessary—and could cause undue harm. To date, more than 130 tests and procedures to question have been released as part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign, which aims to spark conversations
- [Colonoscopy May be Linked to Increased Risk of Appendicitis](https://www.americanpatient.org/colonoscopy-may-be-linked-to-increased-risk-of-appendicitis/) - By STEVEN REINBERG, HEALTHDAY, FEB 08, 2018. A colonoscopy can save your life by detecting and removing colon cancer, but it might also trigger appendicitis, a recent study suggests. Experts aren't sure exactly why that happens, and, fortunately, it's rare. And it shouldn't stop you from getting a colonoscopy, according to lead researcher Dr. Marc
- [Cleaning Plant Troubles Could Lead to Hospital Tool Shortage](https://www.americanpatient.org/cleaning-plant-troubles-could-lead-to-hospital-tool-shortage/) - WASHINGTON (AP) Nov. 5, 2019— In an Oct. 25 story about medical devices, The Associated Press reported on the closure of several facilities that use a carcinogenic gas to sterilize medical equipment, including a Georgia facility. The story should have made clear that the plant’s owner, Sterigenics, voluntarily closed it to speed up installation of
- [Surgery for Blocked Arteries Is Often Unwarranted, Researchers Find](https://www.americanpatient.org/surgery-for-blocked-arteries-is-often-unwarranted-researchers-find/) - Drug therapy alone may save lives as effectively as bypass or stenting procedures, a large federal study showed. By Gina Kolata, The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2019. The findings of a large federal study on bypass surgeries and stents call into question the medical care provided to tens of thousands of heart disease patients
- [Hospital Prices for Inpatients Climbed 19% Over 5 Years.](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-prices-for-inpatient-care-climbed-19-over-5-years/) - By Kelly Gooch, Beckers Hospital Report. The cost of hospital inpatient services for privately insured individuals is on the rise, according to a new data brief by UnitedHealth Group. An analysis conducted in 2019 of U.S. commercial hospital inpatient claims from 2013 through 2017 showed that hospital prices for inpatient services increased 19 percent, or
- [What Happens When You Don’t Pay a Hospital Bill](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-happens-when-you-dont-pay-a-hospital-bill/) - As Americans sink under medical expenses, debt collectors go to great—and sometimes strange—lengths to collect. On March 8, 2011, Joclyn Krevat, an occupational therapist in New York, was sitting at her computer when she received a most unusual LinkedIn request. The wording was the familiar: “I’d like to add you to my professional network.” The
- [Challenging Hospital Discharge Decisions](https://www.americanpatient.org/challenging-hospital-discharge-decisions/) - Hospital stays are difficult times for patients and their families, especially for those who need long term care upon discharge. Increasingly short hospital stays pose a tremendous challenge to families who have to arrange post-hospital care very quickly while also tending to their loved one's illness and emotional needs. From California Advocates for Nursing Home
- [The secret number maternity hospitals don’t want you to know, and why we’re revealing it](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-secret-number-maternity-hospitals-dont-want-you-to-know-and-why-were-revealing-it/) - By John Kelly and Alison Young, USA TODAY. March 7, 2019 | Updated 11:43 a.m. ET June 28, 2019 Shantel Smith developed an infection after a stillbirth at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans in 2011. In an ongoing lawsuit, Smith alleges that delayed diagnosis and treatment resulted in devastating amputations of her legs and hands. Jarrad
- [Johns Hopkins Hospital Sues Many Low Income Patients for Medical Debt](https://www.americanpatient.org/johns-hopkins-hospital-sues-many-low-income-patients-for-medical-debt/) - By MEREDITH COHN and LORRAINE MIRABELL, THE BALTIMORE SUN, MAY 17, 2019. Johns Hopkins Hospital has filed more than 2,400 lawsuits in Maryland courts since 2009 against patients with unpaid bills, including a large number of residents from distressed neighborhoods surrounding the East Baltimore medical campus. (Kim Hairston / The Baltimore Sun) Johns Hopkins Hospital
- [A Million-Dollar Marketing Juggernaut Pushes 3D Mammograms](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-million-dollar-marketing-juggernaut-pushes-3d-mammograms/) - By Liz Szabo, KHN, October 22, 2019. When Dr. Worta McCaskill-Stevens made an appointment for a mammogram last year, she expected a simple breast cancer screening ― not a heavy-handed sales pitch. A receptionist asked if she wanted a free upgrade to a “3D mammogram,” or tomosynthesis. “She said there’s a new approach and it’s
- [Racial Bias in Hospitals Linked to UnitedHeath Group's Algorithm](https://www.americanpatient.org/racial-bias-in-hospitals-linked-to-unitedheath-groups-algorithm/) - Researchers Find Racial Bias in Hospital Algorithm By Melanie Evans & Anna Wilde Mathews, The Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2019. Black patients were less likely than white patients to get extra medical help, despite being sicker, when an algorithm used by a large hospital chose who got the additional attention, according to a new
- [The Role of Private Equity in Driving Up Health Care Prices](https://www.americanpatient.org/test/) - While private capital is bringing innovation to health care through new delivery models, technologies, and operational efficiencies, there is another side to investors entering health care. The impact of their common business model of buying, growing through acquisition or “roll-up,” and selling for above-average returns is cause for concern — and probably unsustainable. By Lovisa
- [A Fall Can Be Deadly - Medications Can Affect Your Balance](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-fall-can-be-deadly-medications-can-affect-your-balance/) - Medications can be lifesaving by performing critical tasks such as keeping blood sugar at safe levels, hearts thumping rhythmically, and moods afloat. Yet side effects and interactions between drugs (both prescription and nonprescription drugs) may increase your fall risk in numerous ways. From Harvard Health. Prime examples include blurred vision, dizziness or lightheadedness stemming from
- [Drugs Causing Hearing Loss and Tinnitus](https://www.americanpatient.org/drugs-causing-hearing-loss-and-tinnitus/) - What Is an Ototoxic Drug? According to Neil Bauman, Ph.D., “Ototoxic drugs are those medications that can cause ototoxic (ear damaging) side effects to your ears. Such drugs can cause hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, and other phantom sounds and a whole host of balance problems.” Although physician-prescribed medications may effectively treat a specific health condition, they
- [Time For That Colonoscopy? Probe Your Doc First On How The Scopes Are Cleaned](https://www.americanpatient.org/time-for-that-colonoscopy-probe-your-doc-first-on-how-the-scopes-are-cleaned/) - By Emily Bazar, California Healthline. After a colonoscopy two years ago, Patti Damare felt so delirious and weak that she couldn’t stand on her own. That was on a Friday, and she chalked up her symptoms to lingering effects of anesthesia. On Saturday, the San Marcos, Calif., woman wondered if she had contracted a killer
- [Mold in Seattle Children's Hospital Kills 1, Infects 5](https://www.americanpatient.org/mold-in-seattle-childrens-hospital-kills-1-infects-5/) - One of the nation’s 10 best children’s hospitals, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. By Katelyn Newman, US News. A Dangerous type of mold has killed one patient and infected five more at Seattle Children's Hospital, the health center announced Tuesday, prompting it to close all 14 of its operating rooms indefinitely. The hospital closed
- [New Round of Medicare Readmission Penalties Hits 2,583 Hospitals](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-round-of-medicare-readmission-penalties-hits-2583-hospitals/) - By Jordan Rau, KHN. October 01, 2019. Medicare cut payments to 2,583 hospitals Tuesday, continuing the Affordable Care Act’s eight-year campaign to financially pressure hospitals into reducing the number of patients who return for a second stay within a month. The severity and broad application of the penalties, which Medicare estimates will cost hospitals $563
- [Common Joint Pain Treatment May be More Harmful Than Thought](https://www.americanpatient.org/common-joint-pain-treatment-may-be-more-harmful-than-thought/) - The shots may speed up the progression of arthritis and hasten the need for surgery. By Jacqueline Stenson, NBC Health News. Oct. 15, 2019. A common therapy for joint pain may not be as safe as experts believed, according to a new report published Tuesday. Corticosteroid injections are often given to reduce pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis. But these
- [Millions Of Diabetes Patients Are Missing Out On Medicare’s Nutrition Help](https://www.americanpatient.org/millions-of-diabetes-patients-are-missing-out-on-medicares-nutrition-help/) - By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News, Sep 09, 2019. Louis Rocco has lived with diabetes for decades but, until he met with a registered dietitian in August, he didn’t know eating too much bread was dangerous for him. “I’m Italian, and I always eat a lot of bread,” he said. After two hour-long visits with a
- [Drug Shortages Putting Patients At Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/drug-shortages-putting-patients-at-risk/) - By Julie Appleby, The Washington Post, September 24, 2019 Medical treatment has knocked down tumors in 6-year-old Easton Daniels’s brain, but the drug that helped him also wiped out his immune system. To bolster his immune function and help keep him healthy, he has visited a hospital for intravenous infusions of immune globulin about every
- [Heart Valve Infection Risk on the Rise in Hospitals](https://www.americanpatient.org/heart-valve-infection-risk-on-the-rise-in-hospitals/) - By John Commins, Healthleaders Media, September 30, 2019. New infection sources have emerged for people with heart disease, and defective or artificial heart valves. That's according to a new study from researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, published this month in The American Journal of Cardiology. The researchers warned that these potentially lethal
- [Medicare Fraudsters Now Tap Telemedicine In Medical Equipment Scams](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-fraudsters-now-tap-telemedicine-in-medical-equipment-scams/) - By Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News, Oct. 9, 2019. Dean Ernest had been living in a nursing home about a year when his son, John, got a call last winter asking if his father was experiencing back pain and would like a free orthotic brace. The caller said he was with Medicare. John Ernest didn’t
- [Nurses at New Jersey Hospital Gave Benadryl to Patients to Make Them Sleep, Lighten Workload](https://www.americanpatient.org/nurses-at-new-jersey-hospital-gave-benadryl-to-patients-to-make-them-sleep-lighten-workload/) - By Madeline Farber | Fox News, Oct. 11, 2019. A nurse is suing Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J., claiming she was retaliated against after reporting that some of her colleagues working the night shift gave Benadryl to patients to make them sleepy and later falsified medical records. Lawyers for Patricia R. Moran, of Wall Township,
- [NO INDUSTRY HIDES PRICING FROM ITS CUSTOMERS LIKE HEALTHCARE DOES—THIS HAS TO STOP](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-industry-hides-pricing-from-its-customers-like-healthcare-does-this-has-to-stop/) - By Marty Makary, Newsweek Opinion. Oct.10,2019. It's hard to think of a worse way to pay for health care than our current system. Imagine if travel websites listed flights with no prices, as airline companies argued that they simply can't know the price before you fly. After all, your flight could be delayed, cancelled, or
- [Pelvic Exams Being Performed on Sedated Hospital Patients without Consent](https://www.americanpatient.org/internal-pelvic-exams-being-performed-on-sedated-hospital-patients-without-consent/) - By Misha Valencia, Healthline. Aug. 30, 2019. Under any other circumstances, it would be a crime. So why is this the exception? When Ashley Weitz went to the emergency room at a local hospital in Utah in 2007 for severe nausea and vomiting, she was sedated with IV medication to help the vomiting subside.While the
- [Beware of Worthless Procedures and Epidural Steroids for Your Back Pain](https://www.americanpatient.org/beware-of-worthless-procedures-and-epidural-steroids-for-your-back-pain/) - By CATHRYN JAKOBSON RAMIN, for CONDITIONS. An excerpt from Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery. Near my office, there’s a breakfast-and-lunch joint where strangers sit down at shared tables. When Joseph, an attorney in his early seventies, heard that I was writing a book about the back pain industry, he started
- [Fecal Transplant Is Linked to a Patient’s Death, the F.D.A. Warns](https://www.americanpatient.org/fecal-transplant-is-linked-to-a-patients-death-the-f-d-a-warns/) - By Denise Grady, The New York Times. Two patients contracted severe infections, and one of them died, from fecal transplants that contained drug-resistant bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration reported on Thursday. As a result, the agency is halting a number of clinical trials until the researchers conducting them can demonstrate that they have procedures in
- [Stem Cell Company Persuades Employers To Steer Workers Toward Controversial Therapy](https://www.americanpatient.org/stem-cell-company-persuades-employers-to-steer-workers-toward-controversial-therapy/) - By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News. A Midwestern grocery chain, Hy-Vee, is taking an unusual — and highly controversial — approach to reducing health care costs. Before employees in certain cities can undergo knee replacement, they first must visit a stem cell provider. Hy-Vee has contracted with one of the United States’ leading stem cell
- [Doctors Sound an Alarm Over Leg-Stent Surgery](https://www.americanpatient.org/doctors-sound-an-alarm-over-leg-stent-surgery/) - Johns Hopkins researchers analyzing Medicare data say they’ve detected physicians performing what look like unnecessary vascular procedures. Source The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 10, 2019 Now that unnecessary heart stent procedures happen significantly less often, doctors are flagging a new area of concern: unnecessary leg stents Johns Hopkins researchers analyzing Medicare data say they’ve detected physicians
- [Hormone Therapy During Menopause Raises Breast Cancer Risk for Years, Study Finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/hormone-therapy-during-menopause-raises-breast-cancer-risk-for-years-study-finds/) - By Megan Thielking, STAT News, Aug 29, 2019. A sweeping new analysis adds to the evidence that many women who take hormone therapy during menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer — and remain at higher risk of cancer for more than a decade after they stop taking the drugs. The study, published Thursday in
- [From Hope to Medical Nightmare](https://www.americanpatient.org/from-hope-to-medical-nightmare/) - Despite FDA warnings, state boards lag in taking action on controversial MS treatment By John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Kristina Fiore and Matt Wynn of MedPage Today. March 28, 2018. In 2012, James McGuckin Jr. performed a risky, unproven procedure for multiple sclerosis on Theresa Leipzig at his North Carolina medical facility. It was not the first time McGuckin, who holds
- [Low levels of chemical that's been linked to cancer discovered in Zantac, Ranitidine](https://www.americanpatient.org/low-levels-of-chemical-thats-been-linked-to-cancer-discovered-in-zantac-ranitidine/) - The FDA says this is the same cancer-linked chemical found previously in blood pressure medications. By Erika Edwards, NBC News, Sept. 13, 2019. The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that low levels of a cancer-linked chemical have been found in samples of the heartburn medication Zantac. The chemical is an impurity called NDMA, which has been linked to
- [The Hidden Drug Problem: Seniors Medication Overload](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-hidden-drug-problem-seniors-medication-overload/) - By Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, the President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. August 20, 2019. An Interview with the Institue for Healthcare Improvement. In a recent Health Affairs article, you and Shannon Brownlee of the Lown Institute refer to the problem of “medication overload.” What is medication overload? Medication overload is when people use
- [At Too Many Hospitals, a Revolving Door](https://www.americanpatient.org/at-too-many-hospitals-a-revolving-door/) - Jessie Gruman can’t remember the number of times she’s been hospitalized for cancer. The list of the conditions she’s had over almost 40 years is daunting: from Hodgkin’s lymphoma to cancers of the cervix and lung. But Ms. Gruman, 59, can’t forget her experience three years ago, when it was time to leave the hospital
- [How Seniors Can Avoid Medical Debt](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-seniors-can-avoid-medical-debt/) - The opening of health plan enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has many Americans over the age of 65 thinking of and planning for their medical expenses and procedures. For many seniors, the process of picking medical coverage is especially complex as Medicare doesn’t cover everything, which can in turn cause excessive medical debt if
- [Big Pharma Gave Money To Patient Advocacy Groups Opposing Medicare Changes](https://www.americanpatient.org/big-pharma-gave-money-to-patient-advocacy-groups-opposing-medicare-changes/) - By Sydney Lupkin and Elizabeth Lucas and Victoria Knight. Dozens of patient advocacy groups, like the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, recently appeared in national advertisements objecting to a Trump administration proposal that could limit drugs covered by Medicare providers. But a Kaiser Health News analysis found
- [Medicare Signup Dangers](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-signup-dangers/) - 65-Year-Olds Need to Enroll Even If They Delay Social Security. Open enrollment is only for those who are already enrolled in Medicare, but John Piershale, a certified financial planner and wealth advisor with Piershale Financial Group in Crystal Lake, Illinois, says now is a good time to remind 65-year-olds that they need to enroll in
- [Older Americans Hooked on Drugs](https://www.americanpatient.org/older-american-hooked-on-drugs/) - When Betty Van Amburgh began treatment last year for her addiction to prescription pain killers she was told to bring along all her medication. She arrived with a shopping bag — boxes of transdermal patches laced with fentanyl, a narcotic up to 100 times stronger than morphine; bottles of hydrocodone, another powerful opioid; packages of
- [Medicare Fraud and Scams](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-fraud-and-scams/) - Help stop the abuse and get rewarded for your efforts. Over 44 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare. All are at risk of being unwitting accomplices -- or victims -- in one of the nation's biggest frauds: Medicare fraud. Although no one is sure how much of the $520 billion Medicare budget is lost due
- [The Pitfalls of Applying for Medicare](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-pitfalls-of-applying-for-medicare/) - Lots Can Go Wrong if You're Not Careful Roughly 3.65 million Americans will turn 65 this year and become eligible for Medicare. But be warned: There's nothing simple about signing up for the government's health-care insurance program. By Jennifer Waters, The Wall Street Journal. "Medicare is complicated," says Paula Muschler, operations manager of the Allsup
- [For Medicare Hospital Patients, Observation Status Can Prove Costly](https://www.americanpatient.org/for-medicare-hospital-patients-observation-status-can-prove-costly/) - The next bed could cost you a lot if the hospital says you're there on observation. If you're on Medicare and you're in the hospital for a few days, you may think you're an inpatient. The hospital may have other ideas. Increasingly, hospitals are placing older patients on "observation status." They may be there for
- [Your Medicare Rights During a Hospital Stay](https://www.americanpatient.org/your-medicare-rights-during-a-hospital-stay/) - During a hospital stay, Medicare beneficiaries have important rights to receive the medical care they need. You have these rights whether you are enrolled in the original Medicare plan or a Medicare health plan. Your Medicare Rights From California Advocates for Nursing Care Reform. Medicare certified hospitals must: Identify your anticipated discharge needs within 24
- [Patients Struggle To Get Crucial Diabetic Supplies](https://www.americanpatient.org/its-not-just-insulin-diabetes-patients-struggle-to-get-crucial-supplies/) - By Bram Sable-Smith, NPR Shots, Sep 19, 2019. In the first three months after getting his Dexcom continuous glucose monitor, Ric Peralta managed to reduce his average blood sugar level by three percentage points. "It took me from not-very-well-managed blood sugar to something that was incredibly well managed," says Peralta, a 46-year-old optician in Whittier, Calif.,
- [What Happens When You Don’t Pay a Hospital Bill](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-happens-when-you-dont-pay-a-hospital-bill-2/) - As Americans sink under medical expenses, debt collectors go to great—and sometimes strange—lengths to collect. By OLGA KHAZAN, for The Atlantic. AUG 28, 2019. Updated at 9:10 a.m. ET on August 29, 2019. On March 8, 2011, Joclyn Krevat, an occupational therapist in New York, was sitting at her computer when she received a most unusual LinkedIn
- [MS Misdiagnosis is Too Common, Puts Patients in Unnecessary Peril from Therapies, Study Reveals](https://www.americanpatient.org/ms-misdiagnosis-is-too-common-puts-patients-in-unnecessary-peril-from-therapies-study-reveals/) - By Ana Pena, MS News. Nearly 18% of new multiple sclerosis (MS) patients referred to two speciality clinics in Los Angeles, California, have been misdiagnosed with the disease, according to a recent study. Most of them actually were affected by migraines, among other conditions, and had been taking MS medications unnecessarily for years, many of
- [The Dangerous Truth About Surgical Centers - Patients Paying with Their Lives](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-dangerous-truth-about-surgical-centers/) - They are less expensive than hospitals. But when a facility isn’t equipped to handle an emergency, the consequences can be deadly. By Christina Jewett and Mark Alesia. From Kaiser Health News. The surgery went fine. Her doctors left for the day. Four hours later, Paulina Tam started gasping for air. Internal bleeding was cutting off her
- [The Most Common Preventable Medical Error](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-most-common-preventable-medical-error/) - One in 20 patients (6%) is impacted by preventable medical errors, according to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal BMJ. What’s more, about 12% of preventable patient harm results in “prolonged, permanent disability” or even death. Lead study author Maria Panagioti and her co-authors conducted a meta-analysis of international data from 70 studies
- [Risk of Death Nearly Doubles for Patients at "D" or "F" Hospitals](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-report-finds-risk-of-death-nearly-doubles-for-patients-using-hospitals-graded-as-d-or-f/) - The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit representing the nation’s largest and most influential employers and purchasers of health care, released the new spring 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Leapfrog Group contracted with the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality to update its estimate of deaths due to errors, accidents, injuries and infections at “A”, “B”,
- [The Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Ailments](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-most-commonly-misdiagnosed-ailments/) - Each year, an estimated 100,000 people in the United States die or are permanently disabled due to a diagnosis that was either missed or delayed. Misdiagnoses are the most common, costly, and dangerous of medical mistakes. They continue to be a serious issue in the United States. Now, new research from Johns Hopkins University in
- [Medical Mistakes Harm More Than 1 in 10 Patients. Many Are Preventable.](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-mistakes-harm-more-than-1-in-10-patients-many-are-preventable/) - At least 12 percent of preventable errors caused permanent disability or death, according to a review of studies involving over 300,000 patients. By Linda Carroll, for NBC News. More than 1 in 10 patients are harmed in the course of their medical care, and half of those injuries are preventable. Among the preventable errors, 12 percent led
- [Beware of Sepsis](https://www.americanpatient.org/beware-of-sepsis/) - From the Medical Laboratory Observer​​. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition triggered by a systemic infection, caused by bacteria, virus or parasite that ultimately affects the function of vital organs. Sepsis is a progressive shutdown of the body's organs and systems caused by systemic inflammation following infection that enters the blood or soft tissue. Those who don't
- [C-sections drive up costs and increase risks for mothers and babies.](https://www.americanpatient.org/c-sections-drive-up-costs-and-increase-risks-for-mothers-and-babies/) - Consumer Reports. Pregnant women put a lot of trust in their doctors and hospitals. But a Consumer Reports investigation of more than 1,500 hospitals in 22 states suggests that such trust may be misplaced. It found that in many hospitals, far too many babies enter this world through cesarean section. While some C-sections are absolutely
- [Hospitals Profit From Surgical Errors, Study Finds](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-profit-from-surgical-errors-study-finds/) - By DENISE GRADY - The New York Times. Hospitals make money from their own mistakes because insurers pay them for the longer stays and extra care that patients need to treat surgical complications that could have been prevented, a new study finds. Changing the payment system, to stop rewarding poor care, may help to bring
- [Strokes in the Hospital](https://www.americanpatient.org/inpatient-strokes/) - By Deborah Gesensway, Today's Hospitalist. Studies show that it can take as long as 20 hours to recognize when an inpatient is having a stroke Because they work at a Joint Commission-certified primary stroke center, the doctors and nurses at Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center have gotten pretty good at working up—in less than 45 minutes—any
- [440,000 Preventable Deaths Annually from Hospital Mistakes](https://www.americanpatient.org/440000-deaths-annually-from-preventable-hospital-mistakes/) - By Erica Daniels for The National Trial Lawyers. A patient safety study estimates that more than 400,000 American deaths are associated with preventable harm done to patients in hospital settings. According to the Journal of Patient Safety study, Evidence-based Estimate of patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care, preventable adverse events (PAE’s) contributing to deaths from care in hospitals cause
- [Superbugs,  Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) and How They're Spread](https://www.americanpatient.org/superbugs-and-hospital-acquired-infections-hais/) - Superbugs and Hospital-Acquired-Infections. By Trisha Torrey, verywell health. No discussion of patient safety would be complete without covering the growth of superbugs, infectious organisms that make patients sick and may even cause death. They are called superbugs because it's very difficult to kill them with existing drugs, which limits treatment options. Superbugs are known by names such as:
- [Hospital Pharmacists forced to Ration Drugs Due To Drug Shortages](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-pharmacists-forced-to-ration-drugs-due-to-drug-shortages/) - By Lisa Rapaport, for Reuters Health. Hospital medication shortages are forcing clinicians to decide which patients receive needed medications and which do not. More than two-thirds of pharmacists in U.S. hospitals deal with at least 50 drug shortages every year, according to a new study that suggests hospital staff are often forced to ration life-saving
- [Going into hospital far riskier than flying: World Health Organization](https://www.americanpatient.org/going-into-hospital-far-riskier-than-flying-world-health-organization/) - By Stephanie Nebehay, for Health News. Millions of people die each year from medical errors and infections linked to health care and going into hospital is far riskier than flying, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. “If you were admitted to hospital tomorrow in any country... your chances of being subjected to an error
- [Majority of U.S. Hospitals Not Meeting Surgical Safety Standards](https://www.americanpatient.org/majority-of-u-s-hospitals-not-meeting-surgical-safety-standards/) - By Judith Graham, KHN News. The Leapfrog Group, an independent national health care watchdog organization, today released Safety In Numbers: The Leapfrog Group’s Report on High-Risk Surgeries Performed at American Hospitals. The report analyzes eight high-risk procedures to determine which hospitals and surgeons perform enough of them to minimize the risk of patient harm or death, and whether
- [Prevacid, Nexium, and Prilosec Lawsuits](https://www.americanpatient.org/prevacid-nexium-and-prilosec-lawsuits/) - By Mike Papantonio, Trial Attorney and Legal Expert. Prevacid lawsuits stem from patients experiencing a high risk of serious side effects like kidney disease and bone fractures. Patients claim the manufacturer failed to warn them of these side effects, and have filed 13,900+ lawsuits against Prevacid and other proton-pump inhibitors. Why People are Filing Prevacid
- [Dangerous doctors: Despite malpractice charges, Florida lets them keep treating patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/dangerous-doctors-despite-malpractice-charges-florida-lets-them-keep-treating-patients/) - By STEPHEN HOBBS, SUN SENTINEL, OCT 26, 2017. It has been more than nine years since Florida health regulators concluded that Dr. Barry Jack Kaplan botched a woman's breast implants and shouldn't practice cosmetic surgery. In the time since, he's been accused of injuring two other women, one so seriously she had to have her nipples
- [7 Takeaways From a Year-long Investigation Into the Country's Broken Medical License System](https://www.americanpatient.org/7-takeaways-from-a-year-long-investigation-into-the-countrys-broken-medical-license-system/) - By John Fauber and Matt Wynn, USA TODAY NETWORK. Some peddled opioids and others sold snake oil treatments. Some had sex with vulnerable patients. Still others botched surgeries or were implicated in patients’ deaths. A year-long investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA TODAY and MedPage Today has revealed that failures in the country's medical
- [Bad physician: Doctor discipline disrupted in Florida](https://www.americanpatient.org/bad-physician-doctor-discipline-disrupted-in-florida/) - “We have to withdraw cases because we don’t have enough physician members.” By Christine Jordan Sexton. Floridapolitics.com Gov. Ron DeSantis made several appointments this week, but he still hasn’t made appointments to the state medical licensing board, and it’s continuing to cause disruptions. “It’s true that we have to withdraw cases because we don’t have enough physician members
- [When Insurance Stops Paying](https://www.americanpatient.org/after-my-son-suffered-a-traumatic-brain-injury-i-was-told-insurance-would-cover-his-medical-bills-i-was-dead-wrong/) - Stephanie Peirolo had an excellent health plan, so when her 16-year-old son sustained a traumatic brain injury, she thought his claims would be covered. She was dead wrong. "There is a particular cruelty to having to spend 10 to 15 hours a week fighting your insurer for benefits while you are caring for a child
- [Why Hospitals Charge So Much For An Aspirin](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-hospitals-charge-so-much-for-an-asprin/) - By Unagidon - Commonweal Magazine. The reason that hospitals charge so much for an aspirin is a rather simple one, and if I tell you why they do it might help me make my point better. (I will talk about hospitals here, but what I say will more or less apply to doctors and other
- [Johnson & Johnson Ordered To Pay Oklahoma $572 Million In Opioid Trial](https://www.americanpatient.org/johnson-johnson-ordered-to-pay-oklahoma-572-million-in-opioid-trial/) - By Jackie Fortier, Brian Mann. NPR. An Oklahoma judge has ruled that drugmaker Johnson & Johnson helped ignite the state's opioid crisis by deceptively marketing painkillers and must pay $572 million to the state. Oklahoma sought $17.5 billion, blaming Johnson & Johnson for fueling the crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 6,000
- [Medical Errors: How Clinicians Still Struggle to Diagnose a Broken System](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-errors-how-clinicians-still-struggle-to-diagnose-a-broken-system/) - By Kevin Kunzmann & Jenna Payesko, MD Magazine. Alex James knew how to exhaust himself. It started on his childhood swim team when his coach, a whistle-blowing, red-faced caricature, demanded he swim to the end of the Olympic-sized pool and back again—without taking a breath. And then, he’d make him do it again. And again.
- [FDA Overlooked Red Flags In Drug maker’s Testing of New Depression Medicine](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-overlooked-red-flags-in-drug-makers-testing-of-new-depression-medicine/) - By Emmarie Huetteman, Kaiser Health News. Ketamine is a darling of combat medics and clubgoers, an anesthetic that can quiet your pain without suppressing breathing and a hallucinogenic that can get you high with little risk of a fatal overdose. For some patients, it also has dwelled in the shadows of conventional medicine as a
- [Study: Millions should stop using aspirin for heart health](https://www.americanpatient.org/study-millions-should-stop-using-aspirin-for-heart-health/) - By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press. Millions of people who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack may need to rethink the pill-popping, Harvard researchers reported Monday. A daily low-dose aspirin is recommended for people who have already had a heart attack or stroke and for those diagnosed with heart disease. But for the otherwise healthy, that
- [Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: $68,000 plus $23,000 in Medication](https://www.americanpatient.org/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension-68000-plus-23000-in-medication-2/) - It took doctors about nine months to diagnose Kevin Paskawych of Marietta, Ohio, with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and all those diagnostic tests – plus four days in an Intensive Care Unit – added up. Plus, he now takes six very expensive drugs each day to manage the condition. He’s uninsured, so he relies on organizations
- [Open Heart Surgery: $428,903](https://www.americanpatient.org/open-heart-surgery-428903-2/) - Elise Hay’s daughter, Nora, was born with heart problems and needed surgery when she was four days old. After the two-week hospital stay, surgery, tests, and medications, the cost was nearly half a million dollars. Luckily, Hay and her husband have health insurance through her employer, so their out-of-pocket costs were only $2,395. “As a
- [10 Things Your Hospital Won't Tell You](https://www.americanpatient.org/10-things-your-hospital-wont-tell-you/) - A hospital is supposed to make you better, but you may not feel too well after reading this. Some words of advice: Be your own health care advocate. 1. "Oops, wrong kidney." In recent years, errors in treatment have become a serious problem for hospitals, ranging from operations on wrong body parts to medication mix-ups.
- [Fear and Health Care: Gallup survey finds Americans skipped treatment, borrowed $88B to pay for costs.](https://www.americanpatient.org/fear-and-health-care-gallup-survey-finds-americans-skipped-treatment-borrowed-88b-to-pay-for-costs/) - By Ken Alltucker, USA Today. Americans borrowed about $88 billion to pay for health care last year, and one infour people skipped care because of costs, according to a new Gallup survey fundedby a nonpartisan health group. The nationwide survey of 3,537 adults found that lower-income adults were morelikely to skip care or fear bankruptcy
- [Medical Errors are the No. 3 Cause of Death](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-errors-are-the-no-3-cause-of-death/) - By Maggie Fox and Lauren Dunn, for NBC News. Medical mistakes — from surgical disasters to accidental drug overdoses — are the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., behind cancer and heart disease, two experts argued Wednesday. They said a careful count of all deaths from preventable medical errors shows between 200,000 and 400,000
- [Create Your Own Durable Powers of Attorney](https://www.americanpatient.org/create-your-own-durable-powers-of-attorney/) - Setting up powers of attorney. Meeting with an attorney to create powers of attorney is recommended, particularly in the case of power governing property. However, there are power of attorney for health care forms you can access to create your own documents. From the Chicago Tribune. "In the case of financial power of attorney, we
- [Washington Couple Dies in a Murder-Suicide Over Angst About Medical Expenses](https://www.americanpatient.org/washington-couple-dies-in-a-murder-suicide-over-angst-about-medical-expenses/) - By Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY. In an extreme example of angst over expensive medical bills, an elderly Washington couple who lived near the U.S.-Canadian border died in a murder-suicide this week after leaving notes that detailed concerns about paying for medical care, police say. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies found notes in the couple’s Ferndale,
- [Insulin Pumps Have Most Reported Problems in FDA Database](https://www.americanpatient.org/insulin-pumps-have-most-reported-problems-in-fda-database/) - By Holbrook Mohr And Mitch Weiss, Medical Press. This Nov. 14, 2018 photo taken in Jackson, Miss., shows the Medtronic Paradigm REAL-Time Revel insulin pump of Polly Varnado's daughter. Medical device manufacturers and experts say insulin pumps are safe. But an AP investigation found that insulin pumps and their components are responsible for the highest
- [Federal Suit Alleges ‘Staggering’ Urine Drug Testing Fraud At Tennessee Pain Clinics](https://www.americanpatient.org/federal-suit-alleges-staggering-urine-drug-testing-fraud-at-tennessee-pain-clinics/) - By Fred Schulte, Kaiser Health News. The Justice Department on Monday accused a defunct chain of Tennessee-based pain clinics of cheating Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health insurers out of at least $25 million in needless urine drug tests and genetic testing. The civil lawsuit names Comprehensive Pain Specialists, also known as Anesthesia Services Associates PLLC;
- [Infusion Treatments — Needed or Not — Can Deplete Patients’ Wallets](https://www.americanpatient.org/infusion-treatments-needed-or-not-can-deplete-patients-wallets/) - By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News. Shannon Wood Rothenberg walked into her annual physical feeling fine. But more than a year later, she’s still paying the price. Routine bloodwork from the spring 2018 visit suggested anemia, of which she has a family history. Her doctor advised pills. After two months with no change, the doctor
- [Doctors Tell All—and It’s Bad](https://www.americanpatient.org/doctors-tell-all-and-its-bad/) - For someone in her 30s, I’ve spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices and hospitals, shivering on exam tables in my open-to-the-front gown, recording my medical history on multiple forms, having enough blood drawn in little glass tubes to satisfy a thirsty vampire. In my early 20s, I contracted a disease that doctors were unable to
- [Medicare Clamps Down on High Prices at Remote Hospital Clinics](https://www.americanpatient.org/medicare-clamps-down-on-high-prices-at-remote-hospital-clinics/) - Hospitals Chafe Under Medicare’s New Payment Rule For Off-Campus Clinics By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, KHN News. Eric Lewis’ plans for expansion have derailed. As chief executive officer of Olympic Medical Center, he oversees efforts to provide care to roughly 75,000 people in Clallam County, in the isolated, rural northwestern corner of Washington state. Last year, Lewis planned
- [FDA Overlooked Red Flags In Drug maker’s Testing of New Depression Medicine](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-overlooked-red-flags-in-drug-makers-testing-of-new-depression-medicine-2/) - By Emmarie Huetteman, KHN. Ketamine is a darling of combat medics and clubgoers, an anesthetic that can quiet your pain without suppressing breathing and a hallucinogenic that can get you high with little risk of a fatal overdose. For some patients, it also has dwelled in the shadows of conventional medicine as a depression treatment
- [Cancer Drugs Approved Quickly Often Fail To Measure Up Later](https://www.americanpatient.org/cancer-drugs-approved-quickly-often-fail-to-measure-up-later/) - By Richard Harris, NPR SHOTS. Cancer drugs that speed onto the market based on encouraging preliminary studies often don't show clear benefits when more careful follow-up trials are done, according to research published Tuesday. These cancer drugs are granted accelerated approval to give patients faster access to the treatments and to allow drug companies to
- [Legal Promise Of Equal Mental Health Treatment Often Falls Short](https://www.americanpatient.org/legal-promise-of-equal-mental-health-treatment-often-falls-short/) - By Graison Dangor, KHN. Amanda Bacon’s eating disorder was growing worse. She had lost 60% of her body weight and was consuming about 100 calories a day. But that wasn’t sick enough for her Medicaid managed-care company to cover an inpatient treatment program. She was told in 2017 that she would have to weigh 10
- [Medication Administration Errors A Serious Safety Problem](https://www.americanpatient.org/medication-administration-errors-a-serious-safety-problem/) - From the Patient Safety Network, Jan 2019. Adverse Drug Event (ADE) is an injury that occurs as a result of medication error. Medication errors need to be addressed for improving patient safety, as there is a relationship between medication errors and ADEs in hospitalized patients. This article focusses on the errors in the administration of
- [Even When HIV Prevention Drug Is Covered, Other Costs Block Treatment](https://www.americanpatient.org/even-when-hiv-prevention-drug-is-covered-other-costs-block-treatment/) - By Michelle Andrews, KHN News. Three years ago, Corey Walsh, who was in a relationship with a man who was HIV-positive, got a prescription for Truvada, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS. Walsh, then 23, was covered by his parents’ health insurance policy,
- [Another Patient Dies in Ben Taub ER Waiting Area](https://www.americanpatient.org/another-patient-dies-in-ben-taub-er-waiting-area/) - By Todd Ackerman, Houston Chronicle. Another patient recently died at Ben Taub Hospital’s emergency center without receiving timely treatment, system officials revealed Friday, the fourth death in the Texas Medical Center in the last eight months because of an apparent miscue. The Ben Taub patient was discovered unresponsive in a waiting room restroom, the same fate that befell
- [The Increasing Influence of Big Pharma on FDA Drug Advisory Committees](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-increasing-influence-of-big-pharma-on-fda-drug-advisory-committees/) - BY JONATHAN BLOCK, for MED Shadow. July 10, 2018 Many FDA advisory committee members later receive kickbacks from the very pharma companies whose drug they approved. How can we stem conflicts of interest? When it comes to approving drugs, the FDA relies heavily on its advisory committees to help it make decisions. Most of the
- [Skyrocketing Health Care Costs Caused by Political Corruption](https://www.americanpatient.org/skyrocketing-health-care-costs-are-caused-by-political-corruption/) - By Steven I Weissman. For Center for Health Journalism. I am going public to reveal the astonishing truth. There is a simple way to instantly, with ease, end our nation’s health cost misery! When the founder of a Miami area hospital, who was a longtime friend and client died, I became interim president. The insider’s
- [Types of Healthcare Systems](https://www.americanpatient.org/healthcare-as-a-zero-sum-game-7-key-points/) - We generally see six to eight types of healthcare systems. There is some overlap, with some organizations falling into several types. 1. Elite Systems. These systems generally make U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Hospitals" ranking. These are systems like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian, Massachusetts General, UPMC and a number of
- [Reflux Drugs Tied to Bone Fractures in Children](https://www.americanpatient.org/reflux-drugs-tied-to-bone-fractures-in-children/) - By Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times. Infants are sometimes treated for gastroesophageal reflux with acid-suppressing medicines, but a new study suggests that they may increase the risk for bone fracture later in childhood. Researchers studied records of more than 850,000 children up to 14 years old. About 97,000 had received acid suppression medicines in their
- [Top 10 Fatal or Harmful Prescribing Errors.](https://www.americanpatient.org/top-10-fatal-or-harmful-prescribing-errors/) - Below is a list of 10 top prescribing errors that cause death or severe harm to patients. Data from observational research, patient safety incident reports, yellow card reports and medical indemnity claims was used to determine the top 10 errors. By Alia Paavola, Becker's Hospital Review, as cited by, ‘The Pharmaceutical Journal’. Drug prescriptions were omitted or delayed. An analysis of 64 prescribing
- [Electronic Health Records  Lack Accuracy for Medications, Threaten Patient Safety](https://www.americanpatient.org/electronic-health-record-medication-lists-lack-accuracy-threaten-patient-safety/) - By Kate Monica, EHR Intelligence. EHR medication lists are often inaccurate and incomplete, opening the door for adverse drug reactions, un-informed clinical decision-making, and poor medication monitoring, according to a new JAMA study. Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Precera Bioscience assessed the difference between prescribed medications recorded in EHR medication lists compared to the
- [Audit Finds 10 'Egregious' Deficiencies At Calhoun Liberty Hospital After Dawson Death](https://www.americanpatient.org/au-finds-10-egregious-deficiencies-at-calhoun-liberty-hospital-after-dawson-death/) - By LYNN HATTER, WUSF. Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administrations has cited the Calhoun-Liberty County Hospital with 10 deficiencies in an audit following the death of a Blountstown woman. The agency is ordering the hospital to fix the problems or lose its Medicaid funding. Medicaid reimbursements make up about a third of the funding for the
- [New Health Rankings: Of 11 Nations, U.S. Is Dead Last](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-health-rankings-of-17-nations-u-s-is-dead-last/) - From The Commonwealth Fund. According to a recent publication from the Commonwealth Fund, based on a broadly inclusive set of performance metrics, the U.S. health care system performance ranks last among 11 high-income countries. Among the 11 nations studied in this report – Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States—the U.S.
- [The Voices Of Patient Harm](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-voices-of-patient-harm/) - Condensed from Propublica. Patient safety is one of the most talked about topics in medicine today, but it’s rare to hear from patients who have been injured. ProPublica gathered more than 1,000 stories of patient harm, from all 50 states, as reported by patients or their loved ones. Their experiences – summarized here – add
- [Is your hospital as safe as you think?](https://www.americanpatient.org/is-your-hospital-as-safe-as-you-think/) - From Consumerreports.org. Many people are aware that visiting a hospital can put their health at risk in a number of ways. But even a patient who knows what to look out for and which precautions to take may not be doing enough to truly safeguard their health, since some U.S. hospitals might not be up
- [How to Avoid Hospital-Acquired Infections](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-avoid-hospital-acquired-infections/) - Hospitals are dangerous places to be for several reasons. First, the only patients hospitalized are those who are very sick, those who need surgery that can't be performed in an outpatient facility, or those who have severe injuries. In all cases, these patients are at grave risk for acquiring infections, called "nosocomial" infections, because their
- [Widespread Harm From Faulty Heart Device Kept Secret by FDA](https://www.americanpatient.org/hidden-reports-masked-the-scope-of-widespread-harm-from-faulty-heart-device/) - By Christina Jewett, for Kaiser Health News. Faced with the possibility that a bout of abnormal heartbeats could end his life, in 2006, Dr. Marc Sicklick had a small device implanted in his chest that would shock it back into rhythm. Soon he would struggle with another life-or-death choice: whether to remove the Sprint Fidelis,
- [My Human Doctor](https://www.americanpatient.org/my-human-doctor/) - Medical school teaches us to examine, to research, to treat. We don’t learn to err and recover. By Sara Manning Peskin, M.D. For The New York Times. The needles go under the skin, into a layer of fat. Three times per week, for over a decade, Shirley had taken one of the pre-filled syringes from her
- [Medicare Terminates Contract with Southeastern Kentucky Medical Center For Patient Safety Violations](https://www.americanpatient.org/citing-patient-safety-violations-medicare-terminates-contract-with-kentucky-hospital/) - By WILL WRIGHT, for Lexington Herald Leader. The federal government cut off Medicare and Medicaid payments to a Kentucky hospital last week following a scathing inspection that found the hospital failed several of its patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services terminated its provider agreement with the Southeastern Kentucky Medical Center in Pineville after
- [Patient Profiling and the Harm It Can Cause](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-profiling-and-the-harm-it-can-cause/) - By Pamela Wible, MD. Ever felt misjudged by a doctor? Or treated unfairly by a clinic or hospital? You may be a victim of patient profiling. Patient profiling is the practice of regarding particular patients as more likely to have certain behaviors or illnesses based on their appearance, race, gender, financial status, or other observable characteristics.
- [Patient Dumping: EMTALA Law Governs ER and Maybe Inpatient Treatment and Discharge](https://www.americanpatient.org/emtala-law-governs-how-and-when-an-er-patient-or-an-inpatient-must-be-treated-and-discharged/) - From Maguire Woods. EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) is a law that governs when a patient may be 1) refused treatment in an emergency room; and 2) transferred from one hospital to another. A patient who comes to the Emergency Department with an emergency medical condition must be seen and stabilized before
- [Hospitals Accused Of Paying Doctors Large Kickbacks In Quest For Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-accused-of-paying-doctors-large-kickbacks-in-quest-for-patients/) - By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News. For a hospital that had once labored to break even, Wheeling Hospital displayed abnormally deep pockets when recruiting doctors. To lure Dr. Adam Tune, an anesthesiologist from nearby Pittsburgh who specialized in pain management, the Catholic hospital built a clinic for him to run on its campus in Wheeling,
- [Company Raised Drug Price 97,000% Then Bribed Doctors to Boost Sales](https://www.americanpatient.org/whistleblowers-company-at-heart-of-97000-drug-price-hike-bribed-doctors-to-boost-sales/) - By Wayne Drash, CNN. Two whistleblowers at a pharmaceutical company responsible for one of the largest drug price increases in US history said the company bribed doctors and their staffs to increase sales, according to newly unsealed documents in federal court. The effort, the whistleblowers said in a lawsuit against the company, was part of
- [Patients' Drug Costs Surge for Some Neurologic Conditions](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-drug-costs-surge-for-some-neurologic-conditions/) - By Lisa Rapaport, Reuters Health. Many patients with neurologic disorders like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease have seen steep increases in their out-of-pocket costs for drugs in recent years, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on out-of-pocket drug costs from 2004 to 2016 for more than 912,000 people with private health insurance
- [How “Medicare for All” and Other Bills Would Change Health Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-medicare-for-all-and-other-bills-would-change-health-care/) - By Shanoor Seervai with Sara Collins for The Commonwealth. Several bills introduced in Congress over the past year seek to make health care more accessible to all Americans while also tamping down growing health care costs. In particular, “Medicare for All” proposals have garnered a lot of recent attention. How would these proposals change the
- [Laparoscopic Power Morcellator Dangerous for Hysterectomy or Myomectomy due to Fibroids](https://www.americanpatient.org/hysterectomy-or-myomectomy-due-to-fibroids-laparoscopic-power-morcellator/) - From the FDA. "Since the FDA first issued warnings about the risk of spreading unsuspected uterine cancer from the use of laparoscopic power morcellators, we have continued to review new research to ensure our recommendations reflect the most current scientific evidence. Our latest analysis found a similar incidence of these hidden cancers to our estimate
- [Surprise $164,000 Bill for Heart Attack Could Cause Another](https://www.americanpatient.org/164000-2/) - By Shanoor Seervai, The Commonwealth Fund. If you have a heart attack, chances are you won’t feel up to asking the emergency room doctor, “Are you in my network?” What’s more, if you’re lucky enough to recover, there’s the chance that you’ll be stuck with a bill for health services that you thought your insurance
- [Ignored As An Election Issue, Deaths From Medical Errors Have Researchers Alarmed](https://www.americanpatient.org/ignored-as-an-election-issue-deaths-from-medical-errors-have-researchers-alarmed/) - By Leah Binder, Contributor Forbes. We learned Tuesday (Editor: the 2018 midterm election) that health care is a big concern for voters, with exit polling from CNN, NBC and other major outlets showing 40 percent of Americans picked health care as their most important issue. Yet neither political party is taking on health care’s most visceral problem: accidental
- [The Da Vinci Surgical Robot: A Medical Breakthrough With Risks for Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-da-vinci-surgical-robot-a-medical-breakthrough-with-risks-for-patients/) - By Emily R. Siegel, Cynthia McFadden, Kevin Monahan, Andrew W. Lehren and Pauliina Siniauer, for NBC News. Nearly 17,000 events were classified as device malfunctions over the past 10 years in an FDA database, according to an @NBCNews analysis. "I put all my faith in the doctor and didn't ask questions," says Laurie Featherstone, whose
- [Problems in our Health Care System](https://www.americanpatient.org/problems-in-our-health-care-system/) - By Jim Klein for APRA. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying needlessly and millions more are being injured in hospitals every year due to a hidden epidemic of preventable medical errors and harm* Hospitals earn more money by treating the complications that result from preventable errors so patient safety is not a priority and they won't take responsibility for harm done, be transparent,
- [Pros, Cons of Single-payer Health Care Aired at Hearing](https://www.americanpatient.org/pros-cons-of-single-payer-health-care-aired-at-hearing/) - By KAREN DEWITT , WXXI News. A hearing on single-payer health care drew a big crowd at a hearing at the State Capitol on Tuesday. The New York State Legislature held a daylong hearing Tuesday on a proposal to enact single-payer health care in New York. A packed room listened as supporters and opponents debated
- [FDA Finally Orders Halt to Sales of Vaginal Mesh Used in Pelvic Procedures](https://www.americanpatient.org/fda-orders-halt-to-sales-of-vaginal-mesh-used-in-pelvic-procedures/) - By Laurie McGinley, The Washington Post. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered manufacturers of surgical mesh used for repairing a condition called pelvic organ prolapse to immediately stop selling their products, the latest turn in a years-long battle over the safety of the implants. The agency said the companies, Boston Scientific and Coloplast, had not
- [Grants to Duke Suspended Amid Concern for Patient Safety](https://www.americanpatient.org/grants-to-duke-suspended-amid-concern-for-patient-safety/) - By Ivan Oransky, MD for Medscape Medical News. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) last year suspended seven grants to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, "to assure the welfare and safety of research participants," Medscape Medical News has learned. The move came after a December 15, 2017, letter from Duke to NIH referring
- [The Danger of Postoperative Delirium in Older Adults](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-danger-of-postoperative-delirium-in-older-adults/) - From the American Geriatrics Society. Delirium is an acute decline in cognitive function and attention and represents acute brain failure. Postoperative delirium is recognized as the most common surgical complication in older adults, occurring in 5% to 50% of older patients after an operation. One-third of all inpatient operations in the United States are performed
- [Shop to Save Money on Health Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/shop-around-to-save-money/) - How to avoid unwelcome surprises 1. Understand your health insurance. OK, it’s not a fun read, but it pays to familiarize yourself with the rules and cost-sharing features of your health plan. How much is the deductible? What out-of-pocket costs apply toward it? Is there an extra copay for the emergency room? Do you need
- [Drug Companies Tricks Putting Lives at Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/drug-companies-are-preventing-patients-from-using-cheaper-generics/) - Secretive ‘Rebate Trap’ Keeps Generic Drugs For Diabetes And Other Ills Out Of Reach. By Jay Hancock and Sydney Lupkin, Kaiser Health News.. Lisa Crook was lucky. She saved $800 last year after her insurance company started covering a new, less expensive insulin called Basaglar that was virtually identical to the brand she had used
- [Scammers Are Targeting Seniors Receiving New Medicare Cards](https://www.americanpatient.org/scammers-are-targeting-seniors-receiving-new-medicare-cards/) - New scam targeting Medicare users. By Tricia Kean, KNTV Las Vegas. Martin Thuna recently received a call. “The lady said I'm calling from Medicare. I want to go over your health insurance. You are Martin Thuna? I said yes.” The caller identified herself as Linda and provided a Medicare ID number. Martin says she also
- [Sophisticated Health Care Marketing Campaigns Dangerous for Consumers](https://www.americanpatient.org/sophisticated-health-care-marketing-campaign-misleads-patients/) - Health Care Industry Spends $30B A Year Pushing Its Wares, From Drugs To Stem Cell Treatment By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News. Hoping to earn its share of the $3.5 trillion health care market, the medical industry is pouring more money than ever into advertising its products — from high-priced prescriptions to do-it-yourself genetic tests
- [The U.S. Health Care System: An International Perspective Fact Sheet 2016](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-u-s-health-care-system-an-international-perspective-fact-sheet-2016/) - From Department for Professional Employees AFL-CIO. The U.S. health care system is unique among advanced industrialized countries. The U.S. does not have a uniform health system, has no universal health care coverage, and only recently enacted legislation mandating healthcare coverage for almost everyone. Rather than operating a national health service, a single-payer national health insurance
- [App Lets Patients Record Physician Notes](https://www.americanpatient.org/former-google-head-creates-app-that-lets-patients-record-physician-notes/) - Google veteran and technology expert David Weekly has developed a free app that allows patients to record visits with their physicians, according to CNBC. Patients and family members can use Medcorder to re-listen to visits and physician notes and share the information with family later. By Mackenzie Garrity, Beckers Hospital Review. Studies have shown that patients
- [Opinion: Contaminated Generic Drugs Reveal an Urgent Public Health Crisis](https://www.americanpatient.org/opinion-contaminated-generic-drugs-reveal-an-urgent-public-health-crisis/) - By Peter Pitts, OBSERVER Media. Quality can be stipulated, but it cannot be assumed. Quality occurs by design; it cannot be tested into a product. Nowhere is this truer or more urgent than when it comes to generic drugs. Why generics? Because they represent 90 percent of the volume of medicine consumed by Americans. Medications approved
- [The Underlying Causes of Surprise Medical Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-underlying-causes-of-surprise-medical-bills/) - By David Blumenthal, M.D. and Shanoor Seervai, The Commonwealth Fund. Why do people get surprise bills in the first place and what can policymakers do to address the problem? Consumers’ shock in receiving surprise medical bills has led to deep public discontent, giving rise to political urgency behind finding a federal solution High health costs
- [High-Deductible Health Policies Linked To Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment](https://www.americanpatient.org/high-deductible-health-policies-linked-to-delayed-breast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment/) - By Erika Stalling, NPR Shots. In 2017, Susan learned that she carries a genetic mutation that may elevate her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer to 69 percent. Her doctor explained that individuals who have this mutation in the BRCA2 gene have choices in treatment. Some people opt for a preventive double mastectomy. But Susan could instead
- [Is your pregnancy app sharing your intimate data with your boss?](https://www.americanpatient.org/is-your-pregnancy-app-sharing-your-intimate-data-with-your-boss/) - By Drew Harwell, The Washington Post. Like millions of women, Diana Diller was a devoted user of the pregnancy-tracking app Ovia. When she gave birth last spring, she used the app to chart her baby’s first online medical data — including her name, her location and whether there had been any complications — before leaving the hospital’s recovery room.
- [Elite Hospitals Plunge Into Unproven Stem Cell Treatments](https://www.americanpatient.org/elite-hospitals-plunge-into-unproven-stem-cell-treatments/) - Hospitals are exploiting desperate patients by marketing controversial stem cell procedures without any proven benefits. By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News. The six-minute segment in an online video mimics a morning talk show, using a polished TV host to interview guests around a coffee table. Dr. Adam Pourcho extols the benefits of stem cells and
- [The 10 Most Expensive Cities In America For Healthcare](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-10-most-expensive-cities-in-america-for-healthcare/) - By Natalie Burg – Forbes. Sometimes answering one question leads to a landslide of new inquiries. That’s exactly what happened in June when Castlight Health released data showing wild variations in how much in-network healthcare providers charge for four common procedures – lipid panel, preventive primary care visit, head/brain CT scan, and lower back
- [Appealing a Medicare Claim Denial](https://www.americanpatient.org/appealing-a-medicare-claim-denial/) - By Peter Hunt, for APRA. Taking the appeals path. If you wish to appeal a denied claim under original medicare follow these simple guidelines - Return your medicare summary notice which shows any denied claims - to appeal, write "Please review," sign the back and include any supporting document. Refer to the following information for
- [Patients Ghosted By Doctor’s Employment Contract](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-ghosted-by-doctors-employment-contract/) - Did Your Doctor ‘Ghost’ You? An Employment Contract May Be To Blame By Michelle Andrews, for KHN. When Don Cue developed a bladder infection last fall, he called his longtime urologist’s office for a urine culture and antibiotics. It was a familiar routine for the two-time prostate cancer survivor; infections were not uncommon since he
- [New Health Plans Expose The Insured To More Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-health-plans-expose-the-insured-to-more-risk/) - By Julie Appleby, for KHN. One health plan from a well-known insurer promises lower premiums but warns that consumers may need to file their own claims and negotiate over charges from hospitals and doctors. Another does away with annual deductibles but requires policyholders to pay extra if they need certain surgeries and procedures. Both are
- [Is It Time to Fire Your Doctor](https://www.americanpatient.org/is-it-time-to-fire-your-doctor/) - 16 Clear Signs You Need to Fire Your Doctor. You can’t always trust the white coat. These are the mistakes that are serious enough to warrant your finding a new doctor STAT. He touched you inappropriately There are no hard stats on how many doctors sexually molest, harass, or abuse their patients, but it definitely
- [Nursing Home Company to Pay $2M For Resident’s Death](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-home-management-company-to-pay-2m-over-residents-death/) - By Meyerkord and Meyerkord, LLC, Polk County, GA. The family of a woman who died just 100 days after being admitted to a nursing home have won their nursing home lawsuit, with the nursing home being found liable for the woman’s death. The estate sued the nursing home’s management company on grounds of negligence. The
- [Hospitals Make Mistakes — Here’s How to Avoid Catastrophe](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-make-mistakes-heres-how-to-avoid-catastrophe/) - When tennis star Andy Murray posted a hospital photo to Instagram last week, the pushback was swift. Not for the overshare, but for what some doctors said were medical errors, including misplaced IVs and unshaven arm hair. The British doctors who treated him insisted the procedures were, in fact, up to code. By Molly Shea,
- [MRI Dangers](https://www.americanpatient.org/mri-dangers/) - By Dr. Mercola. Condensed by APRA. Gadolinium: The MRI Agent Linked to Brain Abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the better choices if you need a diagnostic imaging procedure performed. Unlike CT scans or X-rays, an MRI does not use ionizing radiation that may cause DNA damage or cancer. But there are risks
- [What To Do When a Health Insurer Won't Pay For an ER Visit](https://www.americanpatient.org/when-a-health-insurer-wont-pay-for-an-er-visit/) - Our 7-year-old daughter awoke screaming and could not be comforted or touched. We took her to the emergency room. Now our insurance company is denying the visit, saying that it wasn't medically necessary for her to be seen in the ER. Yet the emergency room physician considered a spinal tap to rule out meningitis. How
- [Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits Mounting](https://www.americanpatient.org/lipitor-diabetes-lawsuits-mounting/) - By Lucy Campbell, Lawsuits and Settlements.com New York, NY. Personal injury lawsuits filed against Pfizer, the maker of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin) are mounting and, as a consequence, are being consolidated into Multi District Litigation (MDL). The Lipitor lawsuits allege that Pfizer has failed to adequately warn consumers of the risk for developing diabetes
- [Don't Toss Those Expired Drugs](https://www.americanpatient.org/dont-toss-those-expired-drugs/) - That Drug Expiration Date May Be More Myth Than Fact. Hospitals and pharmacies are required to toss expired drugs, no matter how expensive or vital. Meanwhile the FDA has long known that many remain safe and potent for years longer. Experts estimate such squandering eats up about $765 billion a year — as much as
- [Some Heartburn Meds Tied to Stomach Cancer](https://www.americanpatient.org/some-heartburn-meds-tied-to-stomach-cancer/) - By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay News. Popping certain heartburn drugs like they're candy might up your odds for stomach cancer, new research suggests. The risk was proportionate to how long and how often these drugs, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), were taken. That risk increased anywhere from two to eight times, the study authors said. Although the relative
- [Why Health Care Won’t Be a Free Market](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-health-care-wont-be-a-free-market/) - By Unigadon, Commonweal Magazine. We don’t know much about health-care prices or what we are actually paying for, nor do we know much about the quality of what we are trying to choose. A great president once said, “Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” Put aside the fact that absolutely everyone knew
- [States’ Efforts to Ban Balance Billing Practices Is No ‘Surprise’](https://www.americanpatient.org/states-efforts-to-ban-balance-billing-practices-is-no-surprise/) - Balance Billing. When a provider bills you for the difference between the provider’s charge and the allowed amount. For example, if the provider’s charge is $100 and the allowed amount is $70, the provider may bill you for the remaining $30. A preferred provider may not balance bill you for covered services. By Steven B.
- [Biggest Medicare Fraud Scheme in History](https://www.americanpatient.org/biggest-medicare-fraud-scheme-in-history-netted-375-million-for-texas-doctor/) - By Jay Weaver, The Miami Herald One of the state’s wealthiest healthcare operators was arrested Friday at his Miami Beach waterfront estate on charges of orchestrating the nation’s biggest Medicare fraud scheme — $1 billion. Philip Esformes, 47, charged with two other defendants, is accused of exploiting his network of about 20 Miami-Dade skilled-nursing and
- [Insurance May Not Cover ER Doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/insurance-may-not-cover-er-doctors/) - By Jodie Tillman, Condensed from the Tampa Bay Times. Even with in-network hospital, insurance may not cover ER physicians. When her husband, Charles, showed signs of heart trouble in January, Donna Baker didn't hesitate to drive him to the emergency department at nearby Mease Countryside Hospital. Only later did the Bakers learn that, while Mease
- [Diagnostic Errors: How to Detect Them, Prevent Them and What to Do About Them](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-to-do-if-you-feel-like-youve-been-misdiagnosed-by-your-doctor/) - What To Do If You Feel Like You've Been Misdiagnosed By Your Doctor. Each year, 12 million people are misdiagnosed by doctors, according to the National Academy of Medicine, which can lead to further development of potentially life-threatening diseases and delay critical treatment. Last year, my husband was one of them. In the course of about a
- [The Threat of Fake Medications](https://www.americanpatient.org/fake-medicine-is-a-bigger-problem-than-you-think/) - From The Atlantic. In 2016, an estimated 595,690 patients passed away from cancer. That same year, there were over 15.5 million Americans with a history of this terrible illness for whom it was not fatal. This is because the slivers of hope around cancer treatment have only grown larger over the years, with new, innovative medicines and treatments more
- [Implant Warnings](https://www.americanpatient.org/implant-warning/) - The Implant Files. From International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Health authorities across the globe have failed to protect millions of patients from poorly tested implants that can sicken, maim — and sometimes kill — the people they were designed to help, new global investigation the Implant Files has found. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, partnered with
- [Medical Center Owners Allegedly Altered Patient Records](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-center-owners-allegedly-double-billed-insurers-altered-patient-records/) - By Ayla Ellison, Becker's Hospital Review. Four people have been charged in an $80 million Medicare fraud scheme that involved providing unnecessary medical treatment to patients, according to the Mid Hudson Valley Patch. According to an indictment unsealed Aug. 30, James Spina, Jeffrey Spina, Kimberly Spina and Andrea Grossman participated in a healthcare fraud scheme
- [Maternal deaths rising in the U.S. - New Legislation to Find the Answer.](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-is-killing-american-mothers-this-legislation-could-help-find-the-answer/) - “Landmark” Maternal Health Legislation Clears Major Hurdle. In the wake of the ProPublica and NPR series “Lost Mothers,” the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill to fund state committees to review and investigate deaths of expectant and new mothers. By Nina Martin, ProPublica. On Thursday evening, the Senate unanimously passed its version of
- [MA Nurses Report Patient Deaths Due to Unsafe Patient Assignments](https://www.americanpatient.org/nearly-one-in-four-ma-registered-nurses-report-patient-deaths-that-are-directly-attributable-to-unsafe-patient-assignments/) - Massachusetts Nurses Association, CANTON, Mass. 78% of RNs agree that the quality of patient care in Massachusetts hospitals is suffering due to unsafe patient assignments including 59% of RNs who are aware of patient complications and 46% who are aware of patients who have been injured or harmed because hospitals are forcing nurses to care
- [Feds Join Suit Against Florida Hospitalist Group](https://www.americanpatient.org/feds-join-suit-against-hospitalist-co/) - By Health News Florida Staff. The federal government has joined a whistleblower lawsuit against a company that provides doctors and other health professionals to work in hospitals in Florida and many other states. IPC The Hospitalist Group operates practice groups in Jacksonville, Ocala, Southwest Florida, Tampa, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County and Orlando.
- [How Doctors Make Decisions For Their Patients.](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-doctors-make-decisions-for-their-patients/) - By Garcia-Retamero, Galesic M. From ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. In the past decade, the number of lawsuits for medical malpractice has risen significantly. This could affect the way doctors make decisions for their patients. To investigate whether and why doctors practice defensive medicine with their patients a study was conducted. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire involving choices between a
- [“Step Therapy” Drug Requirement by Insurers Causing Some Patients to Get Sicker](https://www.americanpatient.org/step-therapy-drug-requirement-by-insurers-causing-patients-to-get-sicker/) - Source: Charles B. Inlander Publication: Bottom Line Health. A controversial health insurance program is growing by leaps and bounds throughout the country. With “step therapy,” your insurer requires your doctor to prescribe the cheapest effective prescription drug for your condition (lowest step) before allowing you to use more expensive drugs (higher step). It’s not only being
- [Consumers Beware: Not All Health Plans Cover A Doctor's Visit Before The Deductible Is Met](https://www.americanpatient.org/consumers-beware-not-all-health-plans-cover-a-doctors-visit-before-the-deductible-is-met-2/) - By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News. If you buy one of the less expensive insurance plans sold through the health law’s marketplaces, you may be in for a surprise. Some plans will not pay for a doctor visit before you meet your annual deductible, which could be thousands of dollars. "This could be the next
- [Errors in Your Medical Records Are Dangerous](https://www.americanpatient.org/correcting-errors-in-your-medical-records/) - Mistakes can affect your health care and outcomes. By law, you have the right to correct errors in your medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) ensures that your medical records are private. Another important part of this law allows you to request amendments to your medical record if you find errors.
- [What to Do When Your Insurance & Hospital Do Battle](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-caught-in-the-crossfire/) - Patients Caught in the Crossfire. When you’re in recovery from a hospital visit — whether it’s a major surgery, a visit to the emergency room or just a routine procedure — the last thing you want to worry about is paying your medical bills. Although the doctors may have stitched you up, sometimes they don’t
- [Saving money on surgery and more, negotiating medical fees](https://www.americanpatient.org/saving-money-on-surgery-and-more-negotiating-medical-costs/) - People are used to haggling on the price of a new car, or when buying a house, but how about negotiating prices on healthcare costs? Now consumers can cut their costs before going under the knife. Before you call your doctor for a better deal you'll need to know how much you should be paying
- [An Insider’s Guide to the Insane World of Medical Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/an-insiders-guide-to-the-insane-world-of-medical-bills/) - Have you ever had a near heart attack after getting a medical bill? It happened to me a few years ago after my daughter was thrown from a horse and ended up in the ER with a possible broken arm and collarbone. Turns out nothing was broken, thank goodness. But even though we had health
- [Patients Often Win If They Appeal A Denied Health Claim](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-often-win-if-they-appeal-a-denied-health-claim/) - A 2011 GAO report that sampled data from a handful of states suggests that, even before Obamacare, patients got the claim denial overturned 39 to 59 percent of the time when they appealed directly to the insurer. Federal rules ensure that none of the millions of people who signed up for Obamacare can be denied
- [Medical Bankruptcy And How to Avoid It](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-bills-are-the-biggest-cause-of-us-bankruptcies-study/) - Do Medical Bills Really Devastate America's Families? Medical bills were the biggest cause of U.S. bankruptcies, according to a CNBC report. It estimated that 2 million people were adversely affected. A popular Facebook meme said the 643,000 Americans go bankrupt each year due to medical costs. President Obama, in his 2009 State of the Union address, said that a medical bankruptcy occurred every 30 seconds.
- [5 Steps to Negotiating Your Hospital Bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/5-steps-to-negotiating-your-hospital-bills-and-avoiding-medical-bankruptcy/) - The high price of healthcare affects all of us. In fact, one recent study found that medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy. Insured Americans struggle with high deductibles, relentless monthly premiums and unforeseen out-of-pocket costs that can add up to thousands of dollars each year. Meanwhile, millions of people are uninsured, underinsured or
- [The Battle Against Misdiagnosis](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-battle-against-misdiagnosis/) - American doctors make the wrong call more than 12 million times a year. There are times when a single, unexpected death sparks a change in medical practice. In 2012 a 12-year-old boy named Rory Staunton died after being misdiagnosed in a New York City emergency room. Multiple physicians missed the symptoms, signs and lab results
- [How to Prepare for Scheduled or Elective Surgery](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-prepare-for-scheduled-or-elective-surgery/) - Preparing emotionally Anxiety and fear are normal responses to planned surgery. But having a full understanding of the procedure can reduce your stress and result in a better outcome. People scheduled for an operation often find it helpful to practice relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, meditating, and visualizing a positive outcome from surgery and
- [How to Get the Best Care From the Hospital Nursing Staff](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-to-get-the-best-care-from-the-hospital-nursing-staff/) - A family’s rapport with the nursing staff can improve the care a patient receives; tips for cultivating the relationship that go beyond baking brownies. Flowers, candy and thank-you notes can be an effective way to cultivate a relationship—but do they work with nurses? By Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal. When Kathleen Turner got off a
- [20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors: Patient Fact Sheet](https://www.americanpatient.org/20-tips-to-help-prevent-medical-errors/) - Medical errors can occur anywhere in the health care system: In hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, doctors' offices, nursing homes, pharmacies, and patients' homes. Errors can involve medicines, surgery, diagnosis, equipment, or lab reports. These tips tell what you can do to get safer care. By the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. One in seven
- [Hospital Safety Issues and How to Spot a Hospital Error](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-safety-issues-and-how-to-spot-a-hospital-error/) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PREVENTABLE MEDICAL ERRORS. Hospital acquired infections: About 650,000 patients each year develop a hospital acquired infection. So, on any given day, about one of every 25 hospitalized patients are infected while in the hospital. About 12 percent of patients die in the hospital from the infections that they get while
- [Preventing Medication Errors](https://www.americanpatient.org/preventing-medication-errors/) - According to one estimate, in any given week four out of every five U.S. adults will use prescription medicines, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, or dietary supplements of some sort, and nearly one-third of adults will take five or more different medications. Most of the time these medications are beneficial, or at least they cause no harm,
- [Hospital Survival Guide](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-survival-guide/) - It's estimated that up to 440,000 people die prematurely in hospitals every year due to preventable medical errors. Approximately 180,000 will be Medicare patients. Hospitals are dangerous places and every patient, whether in-patient or out-patient, needs to be aware of that fact, the dangers to look out for and what to do to protect themselves. It
- [Must Know Information about Hospital Patient Advocates](https://www.americanpatient.org/must-know-information-about-hospital-patient-advocates/) - If hospitals offer customer service, it is often through a staff person called a patient advocate. This person can be called upon by a patient or his family member when they run into problems that relate to care, or payment for that care. While these hospital patient advocates may have formal patient advocacy training, most
- [The Medical Hierarchy – Defining Medical Team Members](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-medical-hierarchy-defining-medical-team-members/) - From Engagedpatients.org. The following definitions summarize the responsibilities of the members of the physician team and the roles different doctors may play in your care. While not every level of physicians – especially resident physicians and medical students – are present in every institution, the chain of authority is similar in most hospitals. Please review
- [Patient Checklists for Doctor's Visit](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-checklists-for-doctors-visit/) - Download/Print the pdf version of the checklist before your next Doctor's visit. This detailed list will help you to organise all your medical information that is needed by your doctors office. Also, jot down all your questions you might have for your doctors. Click and download the file : Patient Checklist for Doctor Visits
- [How Do Paramedics Choose a Hospital to Take a Patient to?](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-do-paramedics-choose-a-hospital-to-take-a-patient-to/) - By Rod Brouhard, EMT – P, First Aid Expert. Question: How Do Paramedics Choose a Hospital? When I speak to groups, one of the most common questions is how paramedics choose which hospital emergency department to take a patient. Like most questions about emergency medical services, the answer is a little complicated. Answer: Most importantly,
- [What can help relieve anxiety before surgery?](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-can-help-relieve-anxiety-before-surgery/) - Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine. People might cope with pre-surgery anxiety in very different ways: Some try to prevent anxiety or stress by getting information early on and talking with other people about their concerns. Others distract themselves by reading, or use exercise or relaxation techniques like slow and deep breathing. Several studies have
- [Free Medical Bill Assistance for Floridians​](https://www.americanpatient.org/free-medical-bill-assistance-for-floridians​/) - Do you believe that your medical bill is wrong, that you have been charged or overcharged for things you shouldn't have been? FREE help is available to any Floridian who is the victim of fraudulent medical billing, including medical charges that are wrong or for fees, goods or services that should not have been billed for or if the patient
- [Nursing Home Inspection Report](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-home-inspection-report/) - Visit propublica.org and use the available tool to compare nursing homes in a state based on the deficiencies cited by regulators and the penalties imposed in the past three years. You can also search over 60,000 nursing home inspection reports to look for trends or patterns.
- [Ambulance Fees](https://www.americanpatient.org/ambulance-fees/) - By Martin E. Comas – Orlando Sentinel. Seminole looks at costly ‘non transport’ ambulance fees. In Seminole County, if you call for an ambulance and are treated at the scene — with no trip to the hospital — you’ll likely get stuck with a medical bill of up to $800 that Medicare, Medicaid and many insurers won’t pay.
- [Victim: “Get an Attorney before ER Overcharges Bankrupt You”](https://www.americanpatient.org/victim-get-an-attorney-before-er-overcharges-bankrupt-you/) - By Jane Mundy, Lawyers and Settlements.com. Last July Rothanie went to the ER, doubled over in pain. She had an appendectomy and spent a total of two days in the hospital. Rothanie is now facing bankruptcy due to hospital bills totaling more $53,000, including thousands of dollars in emergency room overcharges. Rothanie, age 28, moved
- [Bigger Hospitals Mean Higher Prices, Not Better Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/bigger-hospitals-mean-higher-prices-not-better-care/) - By Shannon Brownlee and Vikas Saini - Bloomberg News. Power in hospitals is shifting from doctors to administrators. Hospitals are busily merging with other hospitals and buying up groups of doctors. They claim that size brings efficiency and the opportunity to deliver more "value-based" care -- and fewer unnecessary services. They argue that they have
- [Medical Tourism Statistics & Facts](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-tourism-statistics-facts/) - From Patients Beyond Borders With medical tourism still in its early stages, gaining reliable data is challenging. Our research and editorial team works hard to compile the most accurate, current information on international medical travel, global healthcare, and the international patient experience. What are the top destinations? Costa Rica, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South
- [10 Surefire Ways to Ease Pain](https://www.americanpatient.org/10-surefire-ways-to-ease-pain/) - From NHS Choices. Whether your pain has just come on or you’ve lived with it for years, these tried-and-tested self-help steps can bring you relief. Get some gentle exercise Simple, everyday activity like walking, swimming, gardening and dancing can ease some of the pain directly by blocking pain signals to the brain. Activity also helps lessen pain
- [Procedures to Avoid](https://www.americanpatient.org/procedures-to-avoid/) - Epidural Corticosteroid Injections. FDA Warns Epidural Corticosteroid Injection Associated with Serious Neurologic Problems Washington, DC. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that injection of corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine may result in rare but serious adverse events, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death. The injections are given to
- [Worried About Cholesterol? Order Your Own Tests](https://www.americanpatient.org/worried-about-cholesterol-order-your-own-tests/) - By Anna Wilde Mathews Wall Street Journal. Cheryl Lassiter likes to keep a close eye on her cholesterol levels, but with a high-deductible insurance plan, she doesn’t want to pay the fees for repeated checkups by her doctor. So a few times a year, she orders up a lab test herself, using an online service
- [Healthcare Myths](https://www.americanpatient.org/healthcare-myths/) - Top Myths about Diagnostic Errors Held by Patients. From the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. No news is good news. My doctors are talking to one another. My doctor is different. Somebody is in charge of my diagnosis. There is always an answer. My hunches don’t count as much as my physician’s. I would
- [Hospital ratings show sharp differences in safety, chance of dying](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospital-ratings-show-sharp-differences-in-safety-chance-of-dying/) - By Sharon Begley, NEW YORK. (Reuters) - An analysis of government data on hospital safety, including how likely patients are to die of avoidable surgical complications, shows that hospitals vary markedly on these measures and that patients are at higher risk in some nationally-known facilities than at tiny hospitals little known outside their rural communities. The
- [Top Two “Don'ts” From 9 Medical Specialty Organizations](https://www.americanpatient.org/top-two-donts-from-9-medical-specialty-organizations/) - By Patrick J. Skerrett, Executive Editor, Harvard Health. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Don’t perform unproven diagnostic tests, such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing or an indiscriminate battery of immunoglobulin E (IgE) tests, when evaluating a possible allergy. For uncomplicated acute sinusitis, don’t order sinus computed tomography (CT) or indiscriminately
- [Top 10 Safety Concerns](https://www.americanpatient.org/top-10-safety-concerns/) - By Heather Punke, Becker's Hospital Review. The ECRI Institute released its "Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations 2017" report, with EHR information management, use of clinical decision support and antimicrobial stewardship topping the list. The annual report is based on data from ECRI Institute's Patient Safety Organization, concerns raised by provider organizations and expert judgment
- [5 Dirty Little Secrets About Hospitals – Namely, About the Dirt](https://www.americanpatient.org/5-dirty-little-secrets-about-hospitals-namely-about-the-dirt/) - By Brittney Wilson - The Nerdy Nurse. If you’re feeling sick, you may schedule an appointment to see your doctor or visit a hospital emergency room. However, before you head to the nearest medical facility, consider whether you can self-treat at home. Understandably, some medical issues necessitate a hospital or doctor visit. These include a
- [Insurance, Not Injuries, May Determine Who Goes To Trauma Centers](https://www.americanpatient.org/insurance-not-injuries-may-determine-who-goes-to-trauma-centers/) - By Sarah Varney - Kaiser Health News. It’s called “patient dumping” – when hospitals transfer patients without insurance to public hospitals. But a new study from Stanford University has turned dumping on its head. It finds that hospitals are less likely to transfer critically injured patients to trauma centers if they have health insurance. Researchers
- [Making the Cut](https://www.americanpatient.org/making-the-cut/) - By Marshall Allen and Olga Pierce, ProPublica - Condensed by APRA. Why choosing the right surgeon matters even more than you know It’s conventional wisdom that there are “good” and “bad” hospitals — and that selecting a good one can protect patients from the kinds of medical errors that injure or kill hundreds of thousands
- [Lawsuit Alleges Unreasonable Insurance Denial Puts Health at Risk](https://www.americanpatient.org/lawsuit-alleges-unreasonable-insurance-denial-puts-health-at-risk/) - By Heidi Turner, Lawsuits and Settlements.com. Bad faith insurance lawsuits, alleging insurance companies have unreasonably denied disability claims, are nothing new. But now lawsuits are being filed against insurance companies alleging policyholders are being wrongfully denied potentially life-saving treatment on the basis they are not sick enough for treatment to be medically necessary. One such
- [What Doctors Don’t Tell You (but should!)](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-doctors-dont-tell-you-but-should/) - By Dr. Danielle Ofri, Health.com. Have you ever wondered what your doctor was thinking as you sat in your paper robe on the exam table? Or worried that you’re not taking full advantage of those precious few minutes you have with her? As a doctor myself (I’m a general internist in New York), I’m fascinated
- [One Third of Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed in Treatment](https://www.americanpatient.org/one-third-of-skilled-nursing-patients-harmed-in-treatment/) - By Marshall Allen, ProPublica. A study by Medicare’s inspector general of skilled nursing facilities says nearly 22,000 patients were injured and more than 1,500 died in a single month — a higher rate of medical errors than hospitals. More than 1 million patients suffer harm each year while being treated in the U.S. health care
- [Nexium Plaintiffs Oppose Lawsuit Dismissal](https://www.americanpatient.org/nexium-plaintiffs-oppose-lawsuit-dismissal/) - By Heidi Turner, LawyersandSettlements.com. Plaintiffs involved in Nexium lawsuits have opposed AstraZeneca’s motion to dismiss the lawsuits. In all, up to 58 lawsuits are involved, with plaintiffs alleging they were not given the opportunity to fix reported issues with the lawsuits, including not having paperwork submitted in time. According to National Law Journal (3/13/14), more
- [Low-T Testosterone Heart Risk Lawsuit](https://www.americanpatient.org/low-t-testosterone-heart-risk-lawsuit/) - From the Journal of the American Medical Association. Men who take testosterone drugs are at increased risk of testosterone stroke and testosterone heart attack , according to a recent study. One testosterone drug, Androgel, warns on its label a number of testosterone side effects including high blood pressure, blood clots in the legs, and “serious
- [Medical board moves slowly against addicted doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/medical-board-moves-slowly-against-addicted-doctors/) - BY DAVID WENNER - Of The Patriot-News. Dr. Jennifer Zampogna showed many signs of having a drug addiction that could endanger patients. Pharmacists noticed. Her staff noticed. So did the state attorney general’s office, local police and federal authorities. Yet the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine, which is supposed to protect the public from addicted
- [Burnt Out Primary Care Docs Are Voting With Their Feet](https://www.americanpatient.org/burnt-out-primary-care-docs-are-voting-with-their-feet/) - Janis Finer, 57, a popular primary care physician in Tulsa, Okla., gave up her busy practice two years ago to care full time for hospitalized patients. The lure? Regular shifts, every other week off and a 10 percent increase in pay.
- [Doctors Stressed by Too Many Patients Offer 'Concierge' Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/1368-2/) - By Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel. Five years ago, Dr. Ivan Castro of Winter Park Florida was miserable with the way medicine was going. "I was constantly running behind to see the next patient and had to focus more on paperwork than on patient care," recalls Castro, 52. That year, Castro changed his practice to the
- [Doctors Refusing Obamacare Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/doctors-begin-to-refuse-obamacare-patients/) - By Sarah Hurtubise - The Daily Caller. Obamacare plans have shrunk payments to physicians so much that some doctors say they won’t be able to afford to accept Obamacare coverage, NPR reports. Many of the eight million sign-ups in Obamacare exchanges nationwide already face more limited choices for physicians and hospitals than those in the
- [Supply Won't Meet Growing Demand for Primary Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/supply-wont-meet-growing-demand-for-primary-care/) - By Kaitlyn Krasselt and Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY. Federally funded programs will add at least 2,300 new primary care practitioners by the end of 2015, but the funding for at least one of those programs is set to expire at the same time, contributing to a massive shortage of doctors available to treat patients — including
- [Medical Debt Can Impact Your Credit Score](https://www.americanpatient.org/how-medical-debt-can-impact-your-credit-score/) - by Gerri Detweiler, Credit.com. Medical costs are on the rise, and insurance companies are refusing to foot the bills. Millions of people have chronic conditions or medical emergencies that lead to multiple office visits with different doctors, which makes it confusing to keep track of all the bills. Few Americans have the savings that it
- [That CT scan costs how much?](https://www.americanpatient.org/that-ct-scan-costs-how-much/) - Consumer Reports magazine. Health-care prices are all over the map, even within your plan’s network. If gas stations worked like health care, you wouldn’t find out until the pump switched off whether you paid $3 or $30 a gallon. If clothes shopping worked like health care, you might pay $80 for a pair of
- [Too Many Doctors Can Be Bad For Your Health](https://www.americanpatient.org/too-many-doctors-can-be-bad-for-your-health/) - The more physicians you see, the greater the chance of miscommunication and overtreatment. My colleague referred her father to me with apologies. The 78-year-old retired businessman was visiting from Florida for the month, and had asked her to set up appointments for him with a half-dozen specialists. Other than well-controlled high blood pressure, an enlarged
- [Average cost per inpatient stay is $22,000. Average outpatient visit is approaching $500.](https://www.americanpatient.org/average-cost-per-inpatient-stay-is-22000-average-outpatient-visit-is-approaching-500/) - From the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The average outpatient visit in the United States costs nearly $500, according to a new scientific study. In addition, the average inpatient stay had a price tag in 2016 of more than $22,000. Both of these dollar amounts underscore a common understanding in the health profession: The
- [Health Care's Crushing Lack Of Competition Causing Increased Prices and Poor Results](https://www.americanpatient.org/health-cares-crushing-lack-of-competition/) - By Martin Gaynor, Farzad Mostashari and Paul Ginsburg for Forbes. No matter how it resolves, the fiercely partisan debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act will not solve America’s true health care crisis. Indeed, a key reason why expanding coverage is so hard is that health care services cost so much, making insurance premiums
- [The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much More in the US](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-real-reason-health-care-costs-so-much-more-in-the-us/) - By Yoni Blumberg, Money. . The U.S. is famous for over-spending on health care. The nation spent 17.8 percent of its GDP on health care in 2016. Meanwhile, the average spending of 11 high-income countries assessed in a new report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — Canada, Germany, Australia, the U.K,.
- [Why The U.S. Remains The Most Expensive Market For 'Biologic' Drugs In The World](https://www.americanpatient.org/why-the-u-s-remains-the-most-expensive-market-for-biologic-drugs-in-the-world/) - By Sarah Jane Tribble and Chris Bartlett for Kaiser Health News. Susie Christoff tried several drugs to cope with her painful psoriatic arthritis before finding Cosentyx worked the best. The problem was the cost. Europeans have found the secret to making some of the world's costliest medicines much more affordable, as much as 80 percent
- [Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us](https://www.americanpatient.org/bitter-pill-why-medical-bills-are-killing-us/) - By Steven Brill. Routine Care, Unforgettable Bills When Sean Recchi, a 42-year-old from Lancaster, Ohio, was told last March that he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his wife Stephanie knew she had to get him to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Stephanie’s father had been treated there 10 years earlier, and she and her family credited
- [Giving Up on Red Tape, Doctors Turn to Cash-Based Model](https://www.americanpatient.org/giving-up-on-red-tape-doctors-turn-to-cash-based-model/) - By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune. For 12 hours a day, the waiting room at Dr. Gustavo Villarreal’s family practice is often packed with patients, people who will pay a flat $50 fee for the convenience — or necessity — of a walk-in, quick-turn doctor’s visit. Villarreal’s practice, which does not accept any form of
- [Patients shocked, burned by device touted to treat pain.](https://www.americanpatient.org/patients-shocked-burned-by-device-touted-to-treat-pain/) - By Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr , Associated Press. Desperate for relief after years of agony, Jim Taft listened intently as his pain management doctor described a medical device that could change his life. It wouldn’t fix the nerve damage in his mangled right arm, Taft and his wife recalled the doctor saying, but a spinal-cord
- [Why Independent Doctors Need the Support of Patients](https://www.americanpatient.org/americas-doctors-are-facing-an-epidemic/) - America's Doctors Are Facing an Epidemic. By Association of Independent Doctors. Every day hospitals are buying up medical practices, turning independent doctors into hospital employees. That trend is not healthy for patients or for doctors. It hurts communities and our nation’s health-care system. When doctors give up their independence to work for hospitals, studies show that health-care
- [Game Changer Ruling For Risperdal Plaintiffs In Pennsylvania](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-study-confirms-risperdal-link-to-gynecomastia/) - At least 5,500 male plaintiffs from across the US have filed in Pennsylvania against J&J and its subsidiary Janssen alleging Risperadal caused them to grow female breasts. By Brenda Craig, Lawyers and Settlements. Philadelphia, PA. A ruling by three appeal court judges in Pennsylvania has turned the tables on Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Janssen
- [Hippocratic Oath](https://www.americanpatient.org/hippocratic-oath/) - By Jim Klein for APRA. There is no direct punishment for breaking the Hippocratic oath in modern days. It can be said that malpractice is the same thing and it carries a wide range of punishments from legal action to civil penalties. The following is the current oath undertaken by the majority of physicians in the
- [After Surgery, Surprise $117,000 Medical Bill From Doctor He Didn’t Know](https://www.americanpatient.org/after-surgery-surprise-117000-medical-bill-from-doctor-he-didnt-know/) - By Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times. Before his three-hour neck surgery for herniated disks in December, Peter Drier, 37, signed a pile of consent forms. Mr. Drier was prepared when the bills started arriving. He was blindsided, though, by a bill of about $117,000 from an “assistant surgeon”. In operating rooms physicians and other health
- [Pulmonary arterial hypertension: $68,000 plus $23,000 in medication](https://www.americanpatient.org/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension-68000-plus-23000-in-medication/) - CNN iReport. It took doctors about nine months to diagnose Kevin Paskawych of Marietta, Ohio, with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and all those diagnostic tests – plus four days in an Intensive Care Unit – added up. Plus, he now takes six very expensive drugs each day to manage the condition. He’s uninsured, so he relies
- [The Chargemaster and the $100 Aspirin](https://www.americanpatient.org/chargemaster/) - By Abraham Aboraya, the Orlando Business Journal. Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee is the 28th most expensive hospital in the U.S., according to new research. The most expensive hospital in Central Florida isn’t just expensive by local standards — it’s one of the most expensive in the country. And that may drive up costs
- [Drug Makers Accused of Fixing Prices on Insulin](https://www.americanpatient.org/paying-the-price-for-insulin/) - By Katie Thomas, The New York Times. A lawsuit filed Monday accused three makers of insulin of conspiring to drive up the prices of their lifesaving drugs, harming patients who were being asked to pay for a growing share of their drug bills. The price of insulin has skyrocketed in recent years, with the three manufacturers
- [No One May Be Coordinating Your Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-one-may-be-coordinating-your-care/) - By Roni Caryn Rabin - Kaiser Health News in collaboration with The Washington Post. Betsy Gabay saw a rotating cast of at least 14 doctors when she was hospitalized at New York Hospital Queens for almost four weeks last year for a flare-up of ulcerative colitis. But the person she credits with saving her life
- [Treatment for Sepsis](https://www.americanpatient.org/treatment-for-sepsis/) - By Elizabeth Simpson The Virginian-Pilot. A Norfolk doctor found a treatment for sepsis. Now he's trying to get the ICU world to listen. ​The patient was dying. Valerie Hobbs, 53, was in the throes of sepsis – an infection coursing through her veins that was causing her blood pressure to tank, her organs to fail and
- [Pharma Execs Play While Patients Pay With Their Lives](https://www.americanpatient.org/outrageous-fortunes-pharma-executives-cash-in-on-high-drug-prices/) - From The Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy. Since the United States does not regulate prescription drug prices, Americans are forced to pay the price that the pharmaceutical industry chooses to charge. This often causes a financial strain for many American families. The pay incentives offered to pharma executives is adversely affecting patients’ access to
- [Health-care Consolidation Threatens People in Small Communities](https://www.americanpatient.org/consolidation-in-the-health-care-industry-threatens-small-hospitals-and-their-communities/) - By Brian Alexander, The Atlantic. This is the story of a small-town, publicly-owned hospital that, after thriving for decades, is struggling and now in all likelihood about to be appended to a large regional health-care system. The tale of Berger Municipal Hospital is, like that of many sectors of the American economy, one defined by industrial
- [Montana Hospital Engaged in Billing Fraud, Kickbacks](https://www.americanpatient.org/montana-hospital-engaged-in-billing-fraud-kickback-scheme/) - By Ayla Ellison. Becker's Hospital Review. Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Healthcare disclosed in June that it is under federal investigation, and a recently unsealed complaint filed by the CFO of the hospital's physician network provides more details about the allegations, according to the Flathead Beacon. The 91-page federal complaint filed by Kalispell Regional Healthcare Physician Network CFO Jon Mohatt
- [The RUC Is Bad Medicine; It Has to Go](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-ruc-is-bad-medicine-it-has-to-go/) - By Brian Klepper, PhD. RUC Is a Deep Root of Our Healthcare Crisis. "One of the biggest mistakes we made...is that we took the RUC...back in 1992 and gave it to the AMA...It's incredibly political, and it's just human nature...the specialists that spend more money and have more time have a bigger impact."[1] This quote
- [Hospitals Steal Doctor Referrals to Increase Income, Reduce Competition](https://www.americanpatient.org/hospitals-steal-doctor-referrals-to-increase-income-reduce-competition/) - Excerpts from Medscape. Where are the referrals going? The growing trend of hospitals hiring their own doctors is causing referrals to independents to dry up. Hospital-employed physicians are often asked to refer patients to in-house physicians, disrupting referral patterns that independent physicians have counted on for years. Steven Lester, MD, a radiation oncologist in the
- [Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect](https://www.americanpatient.org/nursing-home-abuse-and-neglect/) - By Bonina & Bonina P.C. Elder abuse and neglect is so prevalent that a recent government study showed that between 1 and 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have been neglected or abused by a caregiver and that only 1 in 14 incidents of abuse or neglect are reported. The best way to
- [Patient Safety Advocates Urge the Creation of a National Patient Safety Board to Fight Medical Errors](https://www.americanpatient.org/patient-safety-advocates-urge-the-creation-of-a-national-patient-safety-board-to-fight-medical-errors/) - From Consumers Union. A network of patient safety advocates is urging Congress to take steps to improve patient safety by preventing hospital acquired infections and other preventable medical errors. The group, which includes Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, recently sent a letter to House and Senate lawmakers calling for the
- [New York health system pays $15.6M to settle billing fraud case](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-york-health-system-pays-15-6m-to-settle-billing-fraud-case/) - By Ayla Ellison, Becker's Hospital Review. LaGrangeville, N.Y.-based Health Quest Systems and certain of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay more than $14.7 million to the federal government and an additional $895,427 to the state of New York to resolve False Claims Act allegations, according to the Department of Justice. As part of the settlement, Health
- [Florida-Based Halifax Health Settles Second Half of $73 Million Overbilling Case](https://www.americanpatient.org/halifax-health-settles-fraud-case-2nd-trial-to-go-forward-in-july/) - By Berger Montague PC. Earlier this year, Florida-based health services company Halifax Health paid $85 million to settle allegations that it was engaged in a years-long kickback scheme in violation of the federal Stark Law. The settlement was one of the largest reported in Florida history; however, it did not work to settle the matter entirely. Following
- [Your Insurance May Not Cover ER Doctors or Anesthesiologists](https://www.americanpatient.org/insurance-coverage/) - ​​By Jodie Tillman, the Tampa Bay Times. Even with an in-network hospital, insurance may not cover ER physicians When her husband, Charles, showed signs of heart trouble in January, Donna Baker didn't hesitate to drive him to the emergency department at nearby Mease Countryside Hospital. Only later did the Bakers learn that, while Mease Countryside is
- [Study: Wide Hospital Quality Gap on Maternity Care](https://www.americanpatient.org/study-wide-hospital-quality-gap-on-maternity-care/) - By The Associated Press. Where a woman delivers her baby can make a major difference to her own health — a quality gap that remains largely hidden from mothers-to-be. A new study comparing hospitals nationwide finds that women who delivered at low-performing facilities suffered more than twice the rate of major complications for vaginal births.
- [No One Knows: Informed patients make hospitals better](https://www.americanpatient.org/no-one-knows-informed-patients-make-hospitals-better/) - By William Heisel, centerforhealthjournalism.org. Hospitals would disappear without the communities that support them. We pay their bills through our insurance premiums, co-pays, and out-of-pocket payments. We help them buy new equipment or add new wings and centers by bidding at charity auctions and running a 5K for a fundraiser. And we complain. Hospitals may not
- [HCA Hospital Chain Inquiry Cited Unnecessary Cardiac Work](https://www.americanpatient.org/hca-hospital-chain-inquiry-cited-unnecessary-cardiac-work/) - By REED ABELSON and JULIE CRESWELL, The New York Times. In the summer of 2010, a troubling letter reached the chief ethics officer of the hospital giant HCA, written by a former nurse at one of the company’s hospitals in Florida. In a follow-up interview, the nurse said a doctor at the Lawnwood Regional Medical
- [3 Long Island medical facilities didn’t communicate with deaf patient, family](https://www.americanpatient.org/3-long-island-medical-facilities-didnt-communicate-with-deaf-patient-family/) - By Darran Simon, Newsday.com An elderly deaf man died of cancer in April without knowing his diagnosis after three Long Island facilities failed to provide him and his deaf children with accommodations like sign language interpreters, a lawsuit alleges. Lance Weinrib and his sister Melinda Weinrib claim in the federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S.
- [New Emergency Clinic Affiliated With Health Insurer](https://www.americanpatient.org/new-emergency-clinic-affiliated-with-health-insurer/) - By Scott Powers, Orlando Sentinel. By the end of the year, a new emergency-care center in Winter Park will open, offering treatment for broken bones, heart palpitations and even more serious medical issues such as strokes. The twist: The health center will be directly affiliated with a health-insurance company. GuideWell Emergency Doctors and Blue
- [Cancer experts demand action on reducing high-cost drugs](https://www.americanpatient.org/cancer-experts-demand-action-on-reducing-high-cost-drugs/) - Source: Mayo Clinic News Network . A group of 118 of the nation's leading cancer experts have drafted a prescription for reducing the high cost of cancer drugs and voiced support for a patient-based grassroots movement demanding action on the issue. Their recommendations and support are outlined in a commentary, co-authored by the group,
- [A Germy Stethoscope](https://www.americanpatient.org/a-germy-stethoscope/) - By Mary Bowerman, USA WEEKEND. Doctors touch dozens of patients a day and medical standards require them to sanitize after each exam. But what about stethoscopes? A new study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests the stethoscope should be subject to the same sanitary procedures as doctors' hands. Lead author Didier Pittet, director of the
- [What Constitutes Medical Malpractice](https://www.americanpatient.org/what-constitutes-medical-malpractice/) - By Bonina & Bonina P. C. Medical professionals are trusted with your most important asset: your health. We expect doctors and health care workers to do their best, but unfortunately there are times when patients are injured because they received treatment that was below the accepted standard of care. When medical practitioners breech the duty of
- ['Countless' Patients Harmed By Wrong or Delayed Diagnoses](https://www.americanpatient.org/countless-patients-harmed-by-wrong-or-delayed-diagnoses/) - By Steve Sternberg, Senior Writer U.S. News. Evidence is incomplete, but still shows most patients will be impacted by the problem at some point in their lives. Most people experience at least one diagnostic error during their life, according to a new report investigating wrong or delayed diagnoses. The Institute of Medicine on Tuesday released a
- [Adventist pays $118.7 million to settle health-care fraud case](https://www.americanpatient.org/adventist-pays-118-7-million-to-settle-health-care-fraud-case/) - As reported in the Orlando Sentinel. The Adventist Health System, one of the largest health-care systems in the country, which includes Florida Hospital Medical Group, settled a fraud case with the U.S. government and four states involving illegal physician referrals to its hospitals and fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. The settlement was for $118.7 million. According
- [Hand Washing](https://www.americanpatient.org/hand-washing/) - By CBSNews.com. You've seen those restaurant washroom signs that say employees must wash hands. And you also know the reason is to prevent the spread of germs to customers. With that in mind just get a load of where 2 million Americans a year get infections and why. CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod has
- [The U.S. Lags in Life Expectancy Gains](https://www.americanpatient.org/the-u-s-lags-in-life-expectancy-gains/) - By Peter Coy - Businessweek. Life expectancy in the U.S. has been growing more slowly than in other developed countries and is now more than a year below the developed-country average, according to a new report (PDF) from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Even though Americans, on average, live to be almost
- [Open heart surgery: $428,903](https://www.americanpatient.org/open-heart-surgery-428903/) - CNN iReport. Elise Hay’s daughter, Nora, was born with heart problems and needed surgery when she was four days old. After the two-week hospital stay, surgery, tests, and medications, the cost was nearly half a million dollars. Luckily, Hay and her husband have health insurance through her employer, so their out-of-pocket costs were only $2,395.

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- [APRA Coalition For Patient Safety Member Listings](https://www.americanpatient.org/listings/) - Search: [cfdb-table form="APRA Coalition Registration" show="Name,State,City,Zip,Description,Nonprofit,Information,Website" filter="Name~~/.*$_POST(Name).*/i&&City~~/.*$_POST(City).*/i&&State~~/.*$_POST(State).*/i&&Zip~~/.*$_POST(Zip).*/i&&Description~~/.*$_POST(Description).*/i"] [pmpro_levels]
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- [Privacy Policy 03-03-20](https://www.americanpatient.org/privacy-policy-2/) - American Patient Rights Association is committed to protecting online user privacy. In order to ensure your privacy, information americanpatient.org collects through our web site at americanpatient.org ("Site") is used only in the manner and for the purposes described in this americanpatient.org Privacy Policy ("Privacy Policy.") User Consent to Privacy Policy Any person accessing, browsing, or
- [APRA Coalition](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-coalition-for-patient-safety/) - APRA’s Coalition for Patient Safety (ACPS) includes patient safety advocates who are fighting for safety and fairness in health care. A listing of the coalition members is available on this website so people can learn about what these advocates are doing and how they may be able to help. > See the listings Patient Safety Advocates - Contact us to
- [Thank You](https://www.americanpatient.org/thank-you-for-your-donation/) - Thank you for your donation to APRA.
- [Wall of Great Doctors](https://www.americanpatient.org/wall-of-great-doctors/) - Do you have a doctor who has provided special care to you or a loved one, or gone above and beyond in their effort to heal? The practice of medicine is both an art and a science. It requires dedication and personal sacrifice and is often underpaid. Great physicians deserve our respect and recognition for
- [Thank You for Your Donation](https://www.americanpatient.org/thank-you-for-your-donation-2/) - Thank you for your donation.
- [Our Programs](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-programs-initatives/) - PROGRAMS IN OPERATION OR UNDER DEVELOPMENT APRA PATIENT SAFETY GUIDE A handy guide which provides patients with the means to protect themselves against many preventable medical errors. APRA COALITION FOR PATIENT SAFETY APRA is supporting and promoting active patient safety advocates through our Coalition for Patient Safety. For further information contact us. APRA SAFE PATIENT PROJECT Community
- [Programs](https://www.americanpatient.org/programs/) - The American Patient Rights Association (APRA) is dedicated to creating important resources for individuals in need of medical care and their families, raising awareness for the need for safe and fair health care, and fighting to stop preventable medical errors and improve fairness and transparency in health care. Together, we can improve patient safety throughout
- [Legal Statement](https://www.americanpatient.org/legal-statement/) - American Patient Rights Association Legal Statement The text, video, and other information (the "Content") provided on the American Patient Rights Association Website is for informational purposes only and is not comprehensive for any one topic. The Content is not intended to provide or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The Content is not
- [Membership Confirmation](https://www.americanpatient.org/membership-account/membership-confirmation/) - [pmpro_confirmation]
- [Membership Account](https://www.americanpatient.org/membership-account/)
- [Reset Password](https://www.americanpatient.org/reset-password/)
- [My Word - Stephen George](https://www.americanpatient.org/my-word-stephen-george/) - Eleven years ago I lost my father, who was a surgeon. He was 84 and managing Padgett’s disease, a condition that destroys soft cartilage in the spinal cord causing nerves to pinch between the vertebrae causing acute pain. He had decided to get two stainless steel rods placed aside 8 fused vertebrae to stabilize the
- [My Word - Marlene McAllister](https://www.americanpatient.org/my-word-marlene-mcallister/) - I’ve had a long and successful career in nursing and am known for my commitment and work in quality and patient centered care systems. However system improvements seem to always be about the patient rather than with the patient. Until our healthcare system is in partnership with patients we will always have an imbalance in decision-making.
- [Membership Invoice](https://www.americanpatient.org/membership-account/membership-invoice/) - [pmpro_invoice]
- [Membership Checkout](https://www.americanpatient.org/membership-account/membership-checkout/) - [pmpro_checkout]
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- [Edit User Profile](https://www.americanpatient.org/edit-user-profile/)
- [APRA '440,000' Campaign](https://www.americanpatient.org/apra-440000-campaign/) - Let's Stop the Needless Deaths 440,000 lives lost in our hospitals each year due to Preventable Medical Errors is 440,000 too many. The killing needs to end. APRA is leading the way with our '440,000' campaign. The funds from this campaign will be used to engage and motivate hospitals with failed quality control to improve their patient
- [American Hospital Association Patient's Bill of Rights](https://www.americanpatient.org/american-hospital-association-patients-bill-of-rights/) - Patient’s Bill of Rights A Patient's Bill of Rights was first adopted by the American Hospital Association in 1973. This revision was approved by the AHA Board of Trustees on October 21, 1992. Introduction Effective health care requires collaboration between patients and physicians and other health care professionals. Open and honest communication, respect for personal
- [Search Page](https://www.americanpatient.org/search-page/) - Search: [cfdb-table form="APRA Coalition Registration" show="Name,State,City,Zip,tags,Nonprofit,Information,Website" filter="Name~~/.*$_POST(Name).*/i&&City~~/.*$_POST(City).*/i&&State~~/.*$_POST(State).*/i&&Zip~~/.*$_POST(Zip).*/i&&tags~~/.*$_POST(tags).*/i"]
- [Submit Your Story](https://www.americanpatient.org/submit-your-story/) - Submit your story using the form below. Submit your story here. All submissions become the property of APRA. You must be a member to have your story posted. Your name or email address is not shown. All reports are moderated before being added to our website. The decision of the moderator is final. * -
- [START A LOCAL CHAPTER OF APRA](https://www.americanpatient.org/start-a-local-chapter-of-apra/) - Do you want to make a difference in your local community? Apply to start a chapter of APRA in your area and assist people in dealing with a local hospital or other medical providers. Contact us for further information. Contact Us
- [Site Map](https://www.americanpatient.org/site-map/) - [wp_sitemap_page only="page"]
- [Mailing List Subscription](https://www.americanpatient.org/mailing-list-subscription/) - Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list.

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## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/uncategorized/)
- [Senior Safety](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/safety-articles-seniors/) - Articles written by members and contributors on subjects of interest particularly to senior citizens.
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- [Senior Alerts](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/senior-alerts/) - Senior Alerts
- [Other Medical Stories](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/patient-stories/)
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- [Hospital and Surgeon Ratings and Rankings](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/hospital-and-surgeon-ratings-and-rankings/)
- [Drug and Medical Device Recall Toolkit](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/drug-and-medical-device-recall-toolkit/)
- [COVID](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/covid/)
- [Patient Resources](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/patient-resources/)
- [APRA News](https://www.americanpatient.org/category/apra-news/)

## Tags

- [fight medical bills and win](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/fight-medical-bills-and-win/)
- [fight medical bills](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/fight-medical-bills/)
- [medical errors](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/medical-errors/)
- [third leading](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/third-leading/)
- [causes of death](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/causes-of-death/)
- [deaths](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/deaths/)
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- [annual](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/annual/)
- [Medicare](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/medicare/)
- [Humana](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/humana/)
- [Insurance Fraud](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/insurance-fraud/)
- [Covid Vaccine Plant Failures](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/covid-vaccine-plant-failures/)
- [EMTALA](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/emtala/)
- [patient dumping](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/patient-dumping/)
- [refusal of care](https://www.americanpatient.org/tag/refusal-of-care/)