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Stories by Niko Karvounis

Niko Karvounis is a Program Officer with The Century Foundation in New York City, where he works on issues of socioeconomic inequality and health care. He is a regular contributor to Health Beat, the Foundation’s health care blog.

Is Your Yearly Physical a Waste of Time?

That's what some experts have increasingly been suggesting.
Posted on Jan 26, 2009, Source: Health Beat

Could the Media Derail Health Care Reform?

Right now, health care reform is an abstract goal that everyone wants. But that doesn't mean the media are ready to cover it properly.
Posted on Jan 7, 2009, Source: Health Beat

The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself DNA Testing

Pay $399 and spit in a tube, and you can have your genome mapped. But is it healthy to track your genetic lottery, disease by disease?
Posted on Nov 14, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Patients v. Big Pharma: Supreme Court to Decide Landmark Case

Should patients have the right to sue drug companies for personal injuries from FDA-approved prescription drugs?
Posted on Oct 30, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Will the Economic Meltdown Undermine Interest in Health Care Reform?

The current bailout is costing us only a third of what we pay each year for chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Posted on Oct 6, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Universal Health Coverage Is No Silver Bullet

The key to smoothly running, affordable health care is changing medical treatments and procedures.
Posted on Aug 29, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Medical Tourism Is Great -- for Those Who Can Afford It

Americans going abroad to deal with their medical problems would only cut health costs 1-2 percent -- not enough to solve our greater crisis.
Posted on Aug 21, 2008, Source: Health Beat

How Big Pharma Is Fooling You -- and Your Doctor -- with Junk Science

To the pharmaceutical industry, "research" is just a code-word for "smart-sounding marketing."
Posted on Aug 11, 2008, Source: Health Beat

It's Time To Get Rid of the Good-People-vs.-Bad-People View of Drug Use

When discussing treatments for drug addiction, instead of arguing about ideology, let's look at science.
Posted on Jun 25, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The Startling Truth About Doctors and Diagnostic Errors

Diagnostic errors happen at alarming rates but remain underdiscussed. Doctors' overconfidence is just one reason why.
Posted on Jun 19, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The Dangers of Consumer-Driven Medicine

Manufacturers intent on profits are trying to make consumers push doctors and hospitals to use unsafe products.
Posted on May 27, 2008, Source: Health Beat

How Bush's Flawed Health Care Policies Are Gaining Traction

High-deductible health plans and health savings accounts are making reform even more of an uphill battle.
Posted on May 12, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Whatever Happened to American Longevity?

In the past 20 years, the U.S. has sunk from ranking No. 11 in life expectancy to No. 42. What gives?
Posted on May 4, 2008, Source: Health Beat

21st Century Medicine Fraught With Miscommunication and Human Error

The simple transition of a patient from one caretaker to another can result in numerous mistakes and, ultimately, patient harm.
Posted on Mar 20, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Guess Who Foots America's Health Care Bill? Not Employers.

Under our current health care system, patients shoulder far more of the financial burden than employers.
Posted on Mar 12, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Forcing Medical Patients To Be Consumers Wreaks Havoc on Our Health System

The price tag of health care for the uninsured is over $40 billion. Maintaining a market-driven system will only drive that bill higher.
Posted on Feb 22, 2008, Source: Health Beat