Commentaries and Interviews
Michigan has tools to ease medical debt. Does it have the will?
Like many Michiganders, I’ve struggled to make sense of my medical bills. Recently, I found basic math errors on a bill. I felt a familiar dread — not just about the error, but about the exhausting process ahead. I called the billing office at least five times over three weeks...
Forgiving medical debt is crucial, but it won't fix our health care system | Opinion
Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a new initiative to forgive that kind of debt: $144 million in medical bills will be erased for more than 200,000 Michiganders. This is meaningful relief. But let’s be honest—while medical debt forgiveness helps, it doesn’t fix the broken system that created the debt in the first place...
When Cardiac Warning Signs Go Unrecognized
A personal loss highlights deadly flaws in heart care
How Cyberattacks Hold Patient Care Hostage
We need to strengthen our National Cybersecurity Strategy
Why A Plan To Lower Prescription Drug Prices Should Not Be Piecemeal
High Stakes, Little Action
MI Arab Population Faces Health Disparities, SDOH, Food Insecurity
One in three Arab people in the Detroit-Metro area reported food insecurity as a social determinant of health, raising health disparity concerns.
9 Million Medicare Beneficiaries To Benefit From New Drug Pricing, But Careful Monitoring Needed, Says U-M Researcher
A new study led by Minal Patel, associate professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, looks at the financial costs that people with diabetes face and how it impacts their ability to manage their condition.
Chronic Disease Burden And Future Perceptions Of Financial Control
Living with a chronic disease affects more than just physical health—it can cast a shadow over people’s perceived financial control and wellbeing, says a new study published in the journal Medical Care by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.
Chronic Care Financial Burden Goes Beyond Actual Costs
A fear of finance-related challenges for people suffering with chronic diseases may be just as detrimental to their health management as actual out-of-pocket costs, a new study shows.
Measuring the Financial Burden of Managing Diabetes and Its Impact on Patients
A new study led by Minal Patel, associate professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, looks at the financial costs that people with diabetes face and how it impacts their ability to manage their condition.
Chronic Care Financial Burden Goes Beyond Actual Costs
A fear of finance-related challenges for people suffering with chronic diseases may be just as detrimental to their health management as actual out-of-pocket costs, a new study shows.
Superheroes Need Health Insurance, Too
Ms. Magnificent can stop a moving train before it hits a family of ducks but sometimes asthma gets the best of her, sending this superhero off to the emergency room. She gets a rescue inhaler at the ER and a “super-sized bill.” Ms. Magnificent has no insurance and the costly treatment is just a short-term fix.