Last week I naively asked, “Will we fall victim to healthcare rationing?” This week it seems like that’s the question global experts are asking, too. The thing that scares me most about the coronavirus outbreak is the potential for an indefinite period of time where every day health services could be out of reach. Yes,...
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Coronavirus came to an off campus party at the Tuck School of Business. Yup – I thought rural New Hampshire would be a safe bet during this pandemic, but it turns out I was wrong. Some of the ethical questions I blogged about a few days are feeling far more real today. Long story short,...
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Novel coronavirus, the virus responsible for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is on the verge of becoming a global pandemic if it isn’t already. As we stand on the precipice of what could be one of the largest global public health sagas of our lifetimes, I think it’s worth talking about COVID-19 from the “at risk...
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It has been a difficult few months for the Canadian cystic fibrosis community. While our country is widely known for being a world leader when it comes to publicly funded cystic fibrosis care and healthcare in general, the same cannot be said for its position on pharmacare. Many Americans will be surprised to learn that...
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It’s Rare Disease Week 2020, which ultimately culminates with Rare Disease Day on February 29th (the rarest of days!). In the United States, a rare disease is exactly what it sounds like, a disease that is…well… rare. Specifically, a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. The reason we care so much...
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The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is back at it again. Just last week, the not-so-independent watchdog for all things drug coverage in the United States released its draft report for “Modulator Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis: Effectiveness and Value.” As a refresher, ICER uses a mathematical model called Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY) to...
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I wasn’t exactly happy when I had my feeding tube placed in 2011, but it was necessary. I was drastically underweight and I couldn’t put any pounds on the old fashioned way. In fact, I was so distraught over the thought of putting a tube in that it took a bout with pancreatitis to convince...
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