What makes hospitals so deadly and how can we fix it?

Throughout COVID-19, abysmal hospital care and the suppression of effective off-patent therapies killed approximately a million Americans. Much of this originated from Obamacare pressuring hospitals to aggressively treat patients so they could quickly leave the hospital and reduce healthcare costs.

More frail patients respond poorly to aggressive protocols, resulting in them frequently being pushed into palliative care or hospice. Sadly doctors are no longer trained to gradually bring their patients back to health, and hence view many of those deaths as inevitable.

In this article, we will review some of the forgotten medical therapies that dramatically improve hospital outcomes and highlight some of the key strategies patients and lawmakers can use to reduce hospital deaths.

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US Health Insurance: What Are Its Problems and Potential Solutions?
An overview of the chief complaints, root causes, and possible solutions to the U.S. health insurance dilemma.

American health insurance seems to frustrate everyone. Patients complain that it’s expensive and complicated. Providers say it buries them in paperwork and can negatively affect patient care.

Poll after poll indicates that most people simply don’t trust their health insurance provider or the health care system itself. Fully 70 percent of the country thinks American health care has major problems or is in a state of crisis. Consumer satisfaction is at a 24-year low.

The American health payment system is a ramshackle structure made up of public and private insurance plans offered by a host of providers across multiple states. Over many decades, the system has been layered with more legislative patches than the roof on your grandfather’s barn… (Continue to full article)

Drugmakers Just Hiked Prices for Over 500 Medicines
Pharmaceutical companies just raised list prices for over 500 medicines, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Gilead’s HIV-1 treatment Biktarvy and Genentech’s hemophilia A medication Hemlibra.

Drugmakers typically increase prices in the U.S. every January, according to 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit group that analyzes drug prices. And although this month’s price hikes are comparable with those in recent years, consumers and insurance companies will likely feel the impact.

“For patients in high-deductible health plans or who have cost sharing arrangements that are based on the list price, the increases will hit them,” Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn, writes in an email to Money.

The median increase among medicines with a price hike was about 4% for 2025. That’s actually slightly below the typical increases from 2019 to 2024, which ranged from 4.5% to 5%. Of all the January 2025 price changes so far recorded, only seven have been price decreases… (Continue to full article)

Thought UnitedHealthcare Couldn’t Get More Awful? They’ve Gone Villain Mode!
At this very moment Luigi Mangione, who is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last month, is sitting in a federal jail cell in Brooklyn. He’s got a barrage of court appearances scheduled and, once he has wound his way through the criminal justice system, he could be behind bars for the rest of his life.

Which, of course, is as it should be. While there are a lot of reasons that many people find the 26-year-old alleged assassin sympathetic, you can’t just gun a CEO down outside a hotel in Manhattan and face no consequences for it. And Mangione, who is, by all accounts, an extremely smart guy with an Ivy League education, should really have known better. He should have known that if he wanted to murder someone – and get away with it – there were far more socially acceptable ways of doing so.

Insurers seem to have gone into full-on villain mode; just when you think you can’t hear anything worse about the insurance industry, a new horror story comes out. There’s been an uptick in stories about insurers limiting coverage of prosthetic limbs and questioning their medical necessity , for example. Mr Beast, an influencer with 343 million subscribers on YouTube, recently railed against the healthcare industry in a new video where he helped 2,000 amputees walk again. “Many lived in America and it feels so disgusting that in a country with this much wealth, a fucken YouTuber is their only option to get a prosthetic leg,” he tweeted . “We need to fix this.”… (Continue to full article)

It’s Time to Turn Outrage Into Change: We Need a Better System to Pay for Health Care!
The fatal shooting of a health insurance company executive has exposed the deep dissatisfaction many Americans experience with their health insurance. Social media is abuzz with stories of anger and frustration with a system that prioritizes profit over people.

As a retired physician, I saw the shortcomings of our system regularly fail my patients and am well aware of the need for change. In fact, in 2021, I established The Asclepius Initiative (TAI), a nonprofit that works to communicate the need for a fairer and more just health care financing system.

We believe that you and your family should have access to care when you need it, and your care should be affordable, regardless of where you live or work.

Getting sick isn’t a choice, and receiving the necessary care shouldn’t be a luxury. Your medical care should be decided by you and your doctor, not a claims processor… (Continue to full article)

Medicare Will Impose $2,000 Cap on Prescription Costs in 2025
Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will begin capping prescription drug costs at $2,000 annually, a move expected to save millions of Americans money on medications.

The change is thanks to provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which are meant to cut costs for consumers, expand benefits and keep prices more reliable.

Patients who reach the cap will not have to pay for prescriptions covered under Medicare Part D for the rest of the year.

I will believe it when I DON’T have to Pay it!… (Continue to full article)

                     SHOW me de Monee

UnitedHealth Marked Up Lifesaving Drugs by Up to 1,000%: FTC
According to the Federal Trade Commission , UnitedHealth Group has been charging patients markups on lifesaving drugs.

Between 2017 and 2022, UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, Cigna’s Express Scripts and CVS Health’s CVS Caremark marked up their prices by hundreds — and in some cases, thousands — of percent, resulting in $7.3 billion in revenue above cost.

“The three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a report .

“The Big 3 PBMs marked up numerous specialty generic drugs dispensed at their affiliated pharmacies by thousands of percent, and many others by hundreds of percent… (Continue to full article)

How to Save Hundreds on Prescription Drugs: 6 Programs You Can Use in 2025
The cost of prescription drugs has gone up like everything else. Over the last 10 years, the average price of prescription drugs has increased by 40%.

If you rely on prescriptions to maintain your health, these medications can take up a significant chunk of your monthly budget. Luckily, there are some programs out there that can help you save hundreds of dollars a year. From discount cars to online options, there are several ways to cut the cost of your prescription drugs in 2025.

Here they are… (Continue to full article)

…and the Beat goes on…

President Trump begins his new administration with promises of significant changes. His supporters are supercharged by his massive election victory that called for decisive action to cut the size and cost of government, eliminate corruption, and reduce the power of federal agencies. Above all, Trump’s supporters believe we are on a course to restore the Republic of our Founders.

However, as the celebration begins, it’s never been more vital for those who support Trump’s plan to stay vigilant to its opposition. The main lesson the forces of freedom must learn is that the Left never accepts defeat, and they never quit. Their movement for big government control has a specific agenda, and they intend to keep it moving forward under any circumstances. Continue reading →

I imagine that some of my longtime readers have probably noticed that I have not been as prolific of late, and they may have been wondering why. Hopefully this segment will serve as an explanation for that; but first I need to make an apology.

I am sure that some of you recall how I often belittle those whose minds are filled with useless trivia; such as sports statistics, or what is going on in the lives of their favorite celebrities. Well, I’m just as guilty of that as well, and I’ll get to why momentarily. The point is, I have not taken to heart what Christ tells us in Matthew 7:3, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” I am guilty of criticizing the mote in other people’s eyes, while ignoring the beam that is my own eye; and for that I wish to apologize. Continue reading →

UnitedHealth Group is charging patients a markup for key life-saving drugs that could easily exceed their cost by a factor of ten or more, according to findings from the Federal Trade Commission.

OptumRx, the group’s pharmacy benefit manager, along with its two main peers, Express Scripts and CVS Caremark Rx, have pocketed an extra $7.3 billion over cost thanks to price gouging, according to the findings of a report by the Federal Trade Commission. CVS Caremark Rx blasted the findings for cherry picking certain drugs in an effort to push what it called an ‘anti-PBM’ narrative.

The report, which levels the same allegations at CVS and Cigna, is the latest indictment of America’s broken healthcare system and comes on the heels of last month’s shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Continue reading →

The summer of 64 AD was a hot one in ancient Rome, and the evening of July 18th was especially warm. The air was dry, and harsh winds blew fiercely throughout the city.

So, when a fire broke out that night in the Cirus Maximus district, weather conditions were perfect for a major conflagration to spread rapidly. And that’s exactly what happened.

Flames raged in the city for a week and a half, and ancient sources estimate that over 70% of Rome was destroyed with at least 10,000 homes and other buildings burnt to the ground. Continue reading →

Healthcare Reform – It’s Need – NOW!

Problems with Medicare Advantage Plans Keep Mounting
Citing bureaucratic delays and difficulty collecting payments, dozens of health systems around the country are refusing contracts with particular Medicare Advantage plans or with any MA plans at all.

A survey of health systems by the Health Care Management Association revealed that 19% had stopped accepting one or more Medicare Advantage plans in 2023. And 61% reported that they were either considering or planning to stop accepting all Medicare Advantage patients within the next two years.

The problem is nationwide, but more acute in some areas… (Continue to full article)

UnitedHealth Units Ordered to Pay $165M for Misleading Consumers
Three UnitedHealth-owned insurance companies must pay more than $165 million for deceptive conduct that misled thousands of consumers into unknowingly buying supplemental health insurance in Massachusetts.

In a December order, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Helene Kazanjian said penalties stem from marketing practices between 2012 and 2016 by HealthMarkets and its two subsidiaries, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company and HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, which were found to violate the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act.

The ruling follows a non-jury trial to assess damages after the companies were already deemed liable… (Continue to full article)

Watch Out for the ‘Medigap Trap’
A bit of foresight can save you from the Medigap trap — yet one more rule to learn when navigating Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA). In short, it’s a mistake to plan to enroll in MA when you’re relatively healthy, thinking you can just switch to traditional Medicare as you get older and sicker, says David A. Lipschutz , co-director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

MA can be attractive when first enrolling in Medicare for beneficiaries who aren’t worried about network restrictions on doctors or pre-approval requirements for high-level care.

Technically, people who choose an MA plan can change their minds every year during open enrollment and move to traditional government-run Medicare with its unrestricted access to providers who take Medicare. It may be tempting to think about switching when health declines or there’s a need to see providers not in the MA network. But it’s not that easy. Welcome to the Medigap Trap… (Continue to full article)

“They found a cure for gluttony. Now do narcissism.” ~ Peachy Keenan

Poor “Joe Biden” can’t help himself as the suns sets on his ignominious career. He ordered the American flag to fly at half-staff into January 20, inauguration day, to signal grief and distress at Donald Trump’s swearing-in — not realizing, apparently, that Mr. Trump’s first act in office will be to order the flags raised back up, signaling symbolically the end to America’s grief and distress under “Joe Biden.” Continue reading →

Health Insurance, My ASS!

Today I was introduced to the 2025 version of United Health Care, as I went to my Pharmacy to pick-up one of my heart related prescriptions. In January of 2024, a 90 day supply of 180 capsules cost me about $134.00. In April the same prescription cost me about $440.00. Tonight, it cost me $387.00 for a 30 day supply. That is enough to cause me another heart attack.

It has now become HELL INSURANCE! ~ Editor

American health insurance seems to frustrate everyone. Patients complain that it’s expensive and complicated. Providers say it buries them in paperwork and can negatively affect patient care.

Yet identifying a villain in our health payment story is no simple matter.

The American health payment system is a ramshackle structure comprising public and private insurance plans offered by a host of providers across multiple states. Here’s an overview of the symptoms affecting the health care payment industry, some root causes, and cures suggested by industry analysts. Continue reading →

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

“Property in a thing consists not merely in its ownership and possession, but in the unrestricted right of use, enjoyment, and disposal. Anything which destroys any of the elements of property, to that extent, destroys the property itself. The substantial value of property lies in its use. If the right of use be denied, the value of the property is annihilated, and ownership I rendered a barren right.” ~ Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders

Without the right to property, we only have the right to our thoughts; all else will be controlled by others.

John Adams said, “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”

That is not an exaggeration. Without the right to property, we are slaves. Our founding fathers realized that and were careful to correct the original Constitution by adding the Bill of Rights, among other things. Continue reading →

“Everyday the future looks a little bit darker.” ― Alan Moore, Watchmen

We have become a nation adrift in a sea of government overreach, abuse and corruption.

The following is a sobering account of the challenges we faced in 2024, which were marked by the government’s never-ending power grabs and relentless assaults on our civil liberties. Continue reading →