Health care

Oxford rolls out small business renewal plans, increasing patient cost for out-of-network care by more than 50 percent.

Some propose to increase U.S. dependence on foreign doctors to address the physician shortage and argue that quality concerns can be addressed. Others say that the U.S. already relies heavily on foreign MDs, and question the ethics of that policy. And there is another issue: will a "temporary" solution have the potential to harden into a permanent arrangement?

With little action being taken to deal with an increasing shortage of physicians, some say that expanding the scope-of-practice of advanced practice nurses can help fill the gap. Others insist that, in the long-term, the U.S. needs to ramp up production of both doctors and nurses.

Missed this when first reported? Despite a looming public health crisis, lawmakers have yet to seriously address the problem of physician supply. And because it takes a long time to train a doctor, the window to act is closing fast. Also see "Nurses to the rescue?" and "Recruiting of foreign doctors."

[From 2011] A health care cost-control theory’s breakthrough moment in Washington comes in the face of research documenting deep flaws in the hypothesis.

The story explored how the latest Republican proposal to privatize Medicare might affect the 2012 campaign, but failed to describe how the plan would work, or what its substantive impact would be. As such, it did not succeed even at the level of horse race analysis. It's enough to make you wonder: Who is this stuff written for, anyway?

Proposals to address the U.S. physician shortage by relying on foreign doctors meet with concerns, both practical and ethical.

With little action being taken to deal with an increasing shortage of physicians, some say that expanding the scope-of-practice of advanced practice nurses can help fill the gap.

Despite looming public health crisis, lawmakers have yet to seriously address the problem.