Health Care News

Medicare Rights Center Warns: Buyer Beware of “Advantage” Plans

September 20, 2025

A new report details how Medicare Advantage’s complexity—and its broken promises when people get sick—can leave seniors battling denials and surprise bills. The Medicare Rights Center, a consumer organization in New York City, has published . . . read more »

Letting Rural Health Care Bleed Out

July 3, 2025

The Budget Bill, as passed, spells disaster for rural hospitals across the nation. David McCall, the president of the United Steel Workers (USW) describes the situation in northern Minnesota. He notes that “the same is . . . read more »

Op-Ed: A better way to lower hospital costs

April 4, 2024

In a March 23 op-ed at centralmaine.com, Dan Bryant responds to coverage of financial crises at St. Mary’s Health System and Central Maine Medical Center, noting that among the many actions being considered, there is . . . read more »

LTE: Provide financial assistance for medical care

April 2, 2024

In a February 11 letter to the Portland Press Herald, Dr. Brendan Prast, a Portland primary physician, talks about how medical debt is affecting patients’ ability to get the care they need. Prast urges support . . . read more »

HJM: Private Equity Takeover of ERs

March 29, 2024

From the Health Justice Monitor, current news in context from Jim Kahn, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the University of California, San Francisco, and Don McCanne, a retired family practitioner . . . read more »

SBUHCA is in the Senate! Ask your senators to co-sponsor

March 27, 2024

From our allies at One Payer States: Exciting news! And a call to action: This week we got the very exciting news that the State-Based Universal Health Care Act (H.R. 6270 or “SBUHCA”) will be . . . read more »

HJM: The Burdens of Prior Authorization

March 24, 2024

From the Health Justice Monitor, current news in context from Jim Kahn, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the University of California, San Francisco, and Don McCanne, a retired family practitioner . . . read more »

March 2024 Newsletter

March 21, 2024

Want to be on our email list? Sign up here! Health care for all: Through the states Did you know that we have a law on the books that would start the process of creating . . . read more »

Support SBUHCA so states can lead: Sign the petition!

March 12, 2024

Did you know that we passed legislation in 2021 that would start the process of creating a universal health care system for Maine? We did—thanks in no small part to your advocacy! And Gov. Mills . . . read more »

‘Not a Lefty McLefty issue’

March 7, 2024

On a recent episode of Knock Knock Hi!, Dr. Glaucomflecken and Lady Glaucomflecken talk with Rep. Katie Porter about health care in the U.S., Medicare for All, Big Insurance, private equity, primary care, how insurance . . . read more »