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The not so well thought of US Preventative Services Task Force has come up with another lifesaver. Primary care physicians should screen all under 65 for anxiety and depression. This should be done via intake questionnaires.
President Biden in his usual shoot from the hip style said on Sixty Minutes that the pandemic was over. The next day he had to retract that by clarifying that he meant it is not where it was. This after he caught flak from all medical and patient groups as well as that meaning no more funding. I happen to agree with him. It is over. Yes several hundred people a day continue to die but is it from Covid or did they die of something else and they just happen to be diagnosed with Covid? This distinction is not being reported.
Optum continues to grow rapidly by acquisition. It recently purcased the Houston group Kelsy-Seybold for about $2 billion. This includes about 600 practitioners as well as a cancer and women's center along with a sleep center and two ambulatory surgery centers. They have over 60,000 physicians under contract. That is about 5.5% of all physicians in the country.
In an expose piece the NYT blasted Washington state Providence Health for their tactics on pushing patients for payments for care. This in spite of knowing their tactics were illegal. The execs are now trying to put all the blame on their consultant McKinsey but McKinsey only recommends the hospitals eith accept or reject the recommendations. Top
DISCLAIMER: Although this article is updated periodically, it reflects the author's point of view at the time of publication. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the information presented.