“What Ifs�?

Could “killer applications�? tip health care? By Mike Magee What are the predictable actions of individuals, even those who support the status-quo, when confronted with a “killer application” that captures the imagination, has true utility and attracts engagement? Here are two examples, the first, a “what if.” Suppose on every Microsoft operating system there was a […]

Why Can’t We Get Health Care Right?

Too much focus on cost, not enough on outcomes What is it about the US healthcare system? Why can’t we seem to get it right? How can we spend nearly 16% of our GDP – trillions of dollars – annually, and still be mired among the lower tier of nations in health quality? And why […]

Danger on Our Roads and Bridges

The American highway system cracksBy Mike Magee We spend a lot of time in the United States arguing about our health care system and especially health care costs. We focus in on Medicare reimbursement, hospitals, insurers – all of the usual topics – but often we lose sight of the true meaning of “health.” Health, […]

Putting Common Good Above Private Gain

Our loss of community is jeopardizing health care The news that the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group is forfeiting at least $618 million to settle claims related to backdated stock options points to everything that’s wrong with the U.S. health care system. The system really has nothing to do with health. It has everything to […]

Prenatal Care and Birth Outcomes

Does Continuous Coverage Make Sense? The cost associated with premature birth and low birth weight babies is astounding. According to a 2007 study in Pediatrics, the annual cost of hospitalization for premature/low birth weight babies in the United States during 2001 was $5.8 billion. This cost reflects 47% of all infant hospitalizations in that year […]

ACP, AMA and Health Care Reform…15 Years Later

Will organized medicine lead or spoil? By Mike Magee From 1990 to 1997, I was in Philadelphia at Pennsylvania Hospital and Jefferson Medical College. This gave me a front row seat of what I called the Medical School Wars – the highly publicized battle for market share between the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Medical College, […]

Rock and Hold

The surprising impact of the Rocking Chair Project By Mike Magee Seven years ago, on the birth of our first grandchild, Anabella, Trish and I gave our son, Michael, and his wife Susanna a glider rocking chair. It had such a comforting and nurturing effect on both the child and her parents, that we made […]

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