by Ralph Weber Early in May 2014, the administration released guidelines that stated that balanced billing, which exceeds the reference price, is not subject to the employee out-of-pocket limit of $6,350 for single people and $12,700 for those with dependents (in 2014). This means that if your plan sets the reference price for a procedure … Continued
by Lee Kurisko, MD Paleo (caveman) and ketogenic (super low carb) diets are all the rage right now. I used to believe the Paleo diet was a good way to go and that ketosis is a desirable state and also believed that cholesterol was not relevant to cardiovascular risk. Currently, I no longer hold these … Continued
Over the past six months, more than 14,000 emergency room bills have been submitted to a study of emergency room billing practices. Prices have risen greatly over the past decade, and patients are left with most of the bill when insurance doesn’t cover it. American hospital bills are filled with fees that don’t exist in … Continued
by Lee Kurisko, MD One of the fundamental problems with US health care is that patients do not function as consumers in a meaningful way and are not cost-conscious because third parties control the majority of the dollars in health care transactions. Without being consumers that foot the bill, patients are not interested in prices … Continued
Three things matter in health care: price, quality, and facilities. Price is the easiest to find out. If the free market could work in health care, you would upload your x-rays and other information to a secure site. Doctors could then submit bids on the procedures. Then you can check the credentials of the surgeons. … Continued
by Lee Kurisko, MD When discussing different diets, the case is made why this diet or that diet is the best way to go. Having said that, there is only one diet that has ever been shown to prevent and even reverse heart disease, the number one killer in the Western world. That diet is … Continued
by Lee Kurisko, MD In Part Three, I dispelled the misconception that plant foods cannot provide sufficient protein for health. People are also often concerned about calcium, iron, and zinc. I was raised believing that only dairy foods provided a significant amount of calcium to be healthy and have strong bones. Invariably, the “educational” materials … Continued
By Lee Kurisko, MD A prevalent concern regarding the elimination or reduction of animal products from the diet is about protein adequacy. “Where do you get your protein?” is a question that vegans hear over and over again. The answer is simple. They get it from the plants that they eat. More than enough protein can be … Continued
By Lee Kurisko, MD It is frequently cited that almost all human societies have consumed meat and that these societies did not suffer from the ravages of modern diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity etc. This is in fact true, but the key fact is that their consumption of … Continued
By Dr. Stanley “Lee” Kurisko A few years ago, I wrote a blog post for MediBid that I have since realized was completely wrong. My article, “Why Vegetarianism is Bad for You” scored over 50,000 hits but was based on incomplete and inaccurate information. Fortunately, the article is no longer on the internet to misinform people. … Continued
