Stories by Maggie Mahar

Maggie Mahar is a fellow at the Century Foundation and the author of Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much (Harper/Collins 2006). subscribe to Maggie Mahar's feed

Why Congress' Health Care Bills Are Better Than You Think

Posted on: Nov 5, 2009, Source: Health Beat

The health care bills wending through Congress are getting a bad rap. And the major culprit is the Congressional Budget Office, and its chief, Doug Elmendorf.

Bill Moyers: Money-Driven Medicine - The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much

Posted on: Aug 31, 2009, Source: Bill Moyers Journal

Bill Moyers teams up with financial journalist Maggie Mahar and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney to bring you the truth about America's health-care system.

Only A Public Option Can Make Decisions in Patient's Best Interest

Posted on: Jul 1, 2009, Source: Health Beat

Only a public sector plan has the political and moral standing to set limits on coverage and control costs.

Why Reforming Our Health Care System Will Require a Tax Hike

Posted on: Mar 13, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Those who believe we don't need to invest in modernizing the system are fooling themselves.

"This Time We Will Not Fail": Obama Faces Tough Road on Health Care Reform

Posted on: Mar 7, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Health care reform is going to test everything President Obama believes about reasonable people's ability to come to reasonable compromises.

Our Health Care System Is Organized for the Wealthy -- We Can Change That

Posted on: Feb 17, 2009, Source: AlterNet

We are accustomed to living in a sharply tiered society, but it doesn't have to be that way with health care.

Daschle Hasn't Killed Health Care Reform

Posted on: Feb 11, 2009, Source: The Guardian

Tom Daschle's departure hasn't doomed Obama's push for universal health care. It was always going to be a long fight.

Fat: What the Experts Don't Know About Obesity

Posted on: Dec 4, 2008, Source: Health Beat

A recent documentary shows how fat prejudice is keeping even some doctors from understanding obesity.

Worried Sick: How Vulnerable Are You Really to Heart Attack, Stroke or Breast Cancer?

Posted on: Nov 26, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Americans are bombarded with messages announcing that death and danger are just around the corner. Reality is usually much different.

Where Should Health Care Rank on Obama's List of Priorities?

Posted on: Nov 10, 2008, Source: Health Beat

If health care reform is done in a way that contains costs and lifts quality, it will take time and serious seed money.

How John McCain Would Dismantle Medicare

Posted on: Nov 3, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Even if McCain's not elected, keep an eye on Congress.

Income and Education Are Bigger Determinants of Health Than Insurance, Report Shows

Posted on: Oct 20, 2008, Source: Health Beat

A new report reveals the degree to which a child's health is determined by the hand he or she draws at birth.

Is Health Care a "Right" or a "Moral Responsibility"?

Posted on: Oct 9, 2008, Source: Health Beat

One thing is certain: Health care is not simply a privilege.

Most Results of Drug Studies Never Published

Posted on: Sep 29, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The results of over half of all clinical trials on drug safety and effectiveness are not published within five years of the drug going on the market.

Earning Less and Dying Younger: How the Growing Strain on America's Middle Class Is Pummeling Our Health

Posted on: Sep 3, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Last year was a weak financial time for working families, and a new report shows it reflected in our health.

No Wonder Our Hospitals Are a Disaster -- People with Marketing Degrees Are Running Them

Posted on: Aug 15, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Business school graduates have replaced doctors and public health experts as CEOs of hospitals, often at patients' expense.

Want High-Quality Universal Health Coverage? Fix Medicare First and Use It as a Model

Posted on: Aug 1, 2008, Source: Health Beat

By starting with Medicare and showing what can be done, reformers enhance their chances of winning the larger war.

How Long Will Your Doctor Continue Accepting Private Insurance?

Posted on: Jul 17, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Doctors are getting fed up with private insurers. Here's a look at what out-of-pocket costs could look like for patients.

High-Quality, Universal Health Care Is Possible -- With No Premiums or Deductibles

Posted on: Jul 15, 2008, Source: Health Beat

What's more, this new plan from Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel would rein in health care inflation and insulate our health system from lobbyists.

Congress Passes Key Medicare Bill

Posted on: Jul 9, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Ted Kennedy showed up for the vote. McCain did not.

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

Posted on: Jun 24, 2008, Source: Health Beat

When discussing treatments for drug addiction, instead of arguing about ideology, let's look at science.

The Startling Truth About Doctors and Diagnostic Errors

Posted on: Jun 18, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Diagnostic errors happen at alarming rates but remain underdiscussed. Doctors' overconfidence is just one reason why.

How the Mainstream Media Hype Health Care

Posted on: Jun 17, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The mainstream media's health coverage would lead you to believe all medical developments are risk-free and cost nothing.

The Dangers of Consumer-Driven Medicine

Posted on: May 27, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Manufacturers intent on profits are trying to make consumers push doctors and hospitals to use unsafe products.

Whatever Happened to American Longevity?

Posted on: May 4, 2008, Source: Health Beat

In the past 20 years, the U.S. has sunk from ranking No. 11 in life expectancy to No. 42. What gives?

The Mythology of Boomers Bankrupting Our Healthcare System

Posted on: Apr 9, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Facts and myths about how the United States' shrinking work force can pay for the health needs of its retirees.

Amid Bad Publicity, Drug Company Uses Progressive Union to Peddle Its Products

Posted on: Mar 25, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Why is the IAEP, a division of the SEIU, using union letterhead to endorse Lipitor and push drug sales pitches on its members?

The Empowered Patient: How to Protect Yourself From Hospital Errors

Posted on: Mar 10, 2008, Source: Health Beat

Patients have more rights than they think.

The Bad Science That Created the Cholesterol Con

Posted on: Mar 3, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The war against cholesterol has become a profitable cottage industry. But the science behind it has more than a few gaps. (Part two in a series)

Military Doctors Withholding Treatment from Soldiers with Mental Health Problems

Posted on: Feb 26, 2008, Source: Health Beat

The military is denying crucial care to soldiers, making them vulnerable on the battlefield.