The opioid abuse and drug overdose crisis has tarred yet another of the nation’s business titans: McKinsey, a globally renowned consulting firm, has discovered that providing corporate clients sketchy advice about addictive, debilitating, and even lethal prescription medications can have consequences. The firm, which has apologized for its conduct, has agreed to pay $573.9 million….
Continue ReadingArchives for February 2021
As coronavirus vaccinations gain momentum, equity challenges increase, too
Roughly a tenth of adult Americans (~37 million people) have gotten coronavirus vaccinations, as the Biden Administration pushes to increase vaccine supplies and shot sites, while also boosting disease testing capacity and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers. The battle against Covid-19 may seem still to be a slog, with vaccine demand exceeding….
Continue ReadingHospitals profiteer on injured car wreck victims with sky-high bills and liens
Congressional investigations may be coming none too soon on revelations about predatory billing by big hospitals and hospital chains against patients for costly care they received after they were hurt in vehicle wrecks. The New York Times reported that its investigations showed that patients, especially the poor and vulnerable, too often have gotten ripped off….
Continue ReadingBattle against coronavirus may be boosting rise of drug-resistant superbugs
Patients long have dreaded the possibility that — when already seriously ill or hurt — they also would be hit with debilitating or deadly hospital- or health care-associated infections, aka HAIs. The most nightmarish of these cases involve bacteria or fungi difficult to subdue, even with powerful treatments. Now, with care institutions overwhelmed by coronavirus….
Continue ReadingCompanies duck and dodge on safety, liability, cost of products and services
Although corporate titans insist that Big Business can show more responsibility and not put profit ahead of all else, consumers are getting tough displays of how loath companies can be to owning up to dealing with harms their enterprises can cause or the rapacious pricing of their goods. The most recent sketchy signals on product….
Continue ReadingBiden orders expand access and affordability of health care for millions
President Biden has increased the access and affordability of health care for millions of Americans, issuing executive orders to reopen Obamacare exchanges and review rules or practices that targeted the aged, poor, sick, and chronically ill or mentally ill and hindered them from benefiting from Medicaid. These were fast, early actions that Biden campaigned on….
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