Now There’s Proof: Docs Who Take Company Cash Tend to Prescribe More Brand-Name Drugs

“The more money doctors receive from drug and medical device companies, the more brand-name drugs they tend to prescribe, a new ProPublica analysis shows…”

“ProPublica has compiled the disclosed payments from pharmaceutical companies to doctors and other health care providers.  Pharmaceutical companies have paid out 3.49 billion dollars in disclosed payments: 681,020 to doctors, 81,135 to hospitals, and 21,565 to companies.”

Continue reading: Now There’s Proof: Docs Who Take Company Cash Tend to Prescribe More Brand-Name Drugs

Search for your doctor in their interactive database at: http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

High-fat diets are best: “significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease”

“A review of 50 years of evidence concluded that eating unrestricted amounts of fat was healthier than any other type of diet, when it is done in the right way.”

“Scientists last night claimed that the ballooning obesity crisis—which for decades has been blamed on people eating too much fat—may actually be due to diets packed with sugar and food containing refined grains, such as white bread and pasta…”

Continue reading: High-fat diets ARE the best: Mediterranean diet ‘significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease’

Report: Recall of dangerous air bags affects 1 in 8 vehicles

“Recalls of cars with the faulty Japanese airbags affect one in eight vehicles nationwide, a report from Kelley Blue Book found. The recall thus far has affected some 32 million vehicles from dozens of car brands, including major players Toyota, Honda, Nissan, General Motors, Mitsubishi and Ford, the report found. Yet very few people in the U.S. are aware their vehicle could be involved in the recall…”

Continue reading: Recall of dangerous Takata air bags affects 1 in 8 vehicles, report says

Apps Are Doing What Government Can’t to Help Low-Income Americans Stay Healthy

“Not only do Medicaid and Medicare provide inadequate care, but they have also set up perverse incentives which further diminish quality of care and increase costs for all patients…”

“So while the US government dithers and then makes the problem worse, here are six ways apps are helping low-income Americans stay healthy…”

Continue reading: Apps Are Doing What Government Can’t to Help Low-Income Americans Stay Healthy

See also: 10 apps increasing health care access for low-income patients

Bidding For Your Medical Procedures

A Houston company claims to save patients money on their medical procedures by allowing doctors to bid for their business.

Story: Bidding For Your Medical Procedures

“Our mission is to give better quality healthcare at a better price with more choice and more access….Let’s say you need a gallbladder removal. Go online to http://medibid.com/ and you enter the procedure that you need. We will tell you how much is covered under your health plan and then you can create the bid.”