Governmental budget reductions in Medicaid and other programs will have a highly negative affect on the health care safety net that serves millions of low-income, uninsured, and publicly insured patients.
Patients whose incomes and assets place them just above the threshold for the low-income subsidies and those who received prescription drug coverage prior to the availability Medicare Part D are not likely to benefit from the new coverage plan.
Melissa Weddle, MD, MPH and Patricia K. Kokotailo, MD, MPH
Physicians should honor confidentiality whenever possible when screening and treating adolescents for sensitive health conditions such as substance abuse.
A physician advocate who has taken public advocacy stances against the federal government while employed by the government talks about the conflicts that arise between medicine and politics.
Teresa M. Waters, PhD and Peter P. Budetti, MD, JD
The National Practitioner Data Bank attempts to help maintain a level of quality and safety assurance by providing data on the clinical competence of physicians.
While some argue that live footage of emergency room treatment is beneficial to the general public, the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics states that such taping is a violation of patient privacy and patient confidentiality.