Health Wonk Review-The Holiday Edition

On this last holiday week-end, I hope many of you will have the time to read  the  newest edition of Health Wonk Review, a round-up of some of the best health care posts of the past two weeks.

This time Lynch Ryan hosts HWR on  Worker’s Comp Insider. . The posts raise provocative  questions:

Did the LA Times Sensationalize Blue Cross of California’s rate increases?

Why doesn’t President Obama require that CMS negotiate for drug discounts –a move that would take us $200 billion closer to a cliff-avoiding deal?

[My guess is that this will happen sometime this year. Back in April of 2011 Naomi published a HealthBeat post suggesting that Obama had put the idea of letting Medicare negotiate prices back on the table].

How do commercial insurers evaluate physician quality?

How can President Obama best address the Newtown shooting?

Pfizer’s 13th Legal Settlement –Will it be Enough to End the Impunity?

Is the conventional wisdom that “Less Than One Percent of Pain Suffers Become Addicted” True?

Why Does the Cost of a Doctor’s Visit Rise When Hospitals Buy Physician’s Offices?

What Should Health Insurance Cover? Why Do We Need Co-Pays and Deductibles?

How Will the New Federal Guidance on Medicaid Expansion Help Some States Move Forward Quickly?

What Did Don Berwick and Clifford Marks Take Away From a Recent Conference on  Transforming Health Care?

Why Is Care for Patients Suffering From Depression Still Inadequate?

What Are The Best and the Brightest Social Media Writers and Users Thinking?

How Will Medicare’s New Free Annual Wellness Visit Improve Care and Save Money?

How Can the Administration Persuade Reluctant Governors to Expand Medicaid? Can the National Governor’s Association Help?

What Can We Do About the Growing Threat of Hackers, Healthcare Data and Medical ID Theft?