Pandemic Update 6: It’s time for accountability
8.12.2021
On March 19, 2020 Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order closing bars, restaurants and schools in Texas, the first response to documented community spread of the Covid-19 virus in Texas. On March 22, 2020, Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Collin and Travis Counties issued stay at home orders, effectively shutting down economic activity in the largest cities. On that date there were 92 new Covid-19 cases in the state of Texas. On August 11, 2021 there were 21,854 new cases. And everything is open.
Pandemic Update 5: It’s not science, it’s common sense
7.24.2021
I started writing this article over two weeks ago. Generally, I put a draft article aside and come back to it the next day to review and edit. The problem is that each day when I came back to this article on the state of the pandemic in July 2021, the numbers had significantly changed for the worse. I will dispense with the numbers that you can get from the daily news, and just remind you that new Covid-19 cases across the country and in Texas are where we were last fall before vaccines were available. Travis County just went back to Stage 4 restrictions, one step below a shut down. The pandemic is not over.
What to do in a pandemic – what I got right and what I got wrong
Updated 3.10.2021
One of my first posts was What to do in a pandemic? At the time I posted in October, we were about 7 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, and things were a mess. I got most things right, and we have some clarity about some other things. I also got some things wrong. So here are the clarifications and corrections. I will leave the original blog post here so you can read it if you like.
Pandemic update 3: What do we do the next time?
3.4.2021
We are in the third month of vaccine administration for the Covid-19 pandemic, and everyone continues to scramble for their spot in the vaccination queue. Texas ranks 48th among the states in the per capita vaccination statistic, despite receiving lots of vaccine. I am over 65, and can’t find anyplace to get a vaccination anywhere nearby. I know some friends who drove hundreds of miles to get their shots. I am not interested in doing that twice. So, I wait and watch.
Pandemic update 2: It is time for Public Health Officials to take charge.
1.8.2021
I wrote this essay one day after the unbelievable assault on the US Capitol. The news for almost 48 hours was completely focused on this event. In the meantime, each day saw a new record for deaths caused by Covid-19 in the United States. 4,051 Americans died from Covid-19 infection on January 7.
Pandemic update: What do we do now?
Updated 12.9.2020
When Austin Mayor Steve Adler cancelled the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals on March 6, 2020, I was surprised. Honestly, I am not sure that I could have made that decision at that time. It was one of the first major events in the world to be cancelled or postponed. It wasn’t until three weeks later that most organizations began to announce changes in event schedules. Cancelling SXSW was clearly the right decision. But it had to be done with the understanding of the economic impact to the City of Austin, and with no indication of financial support from the state or federal government. I applaud the Mayor and the City Council for doing the right thing at the right time.
What to do in a pandemic?
10.21.2020
Like everyone else, I am still waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to show signs of slowing down. But it does not. So what do we do now? You don’t have to be an epidemiologist (or even a physician) to figure it out.
A primer on the cost of prescription drugs
For thirteen years I worked as a medical director, chief medical officer and executive VP for medical affairs in the health insurance industry. One of my responsibilities in those roles was to manage the cost of prescription drugs for health plan members. I oversaw prescription drug formulary development and implementation, determined benefits for covered drugs, and for a time had responsibility for managing all pharmacy services from formulary management to network and rebate contracting.
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturer Research and Development – Is this why we pay so much for prescription drugs?
The biopharmaceutical industry spends about $150 billion dollars on research and development every year, more than 15% of their annual revenue. Only a few high-tech companies put more money into research and development than the biopharmaceutical industry. This investment has resulted in an impressive number of new drugs approved in the last 10 years, including 53 approved in 2020.
A proposal to control prescription drug costs
I have said that I believe that prescription drugs are the best value in healthcare. I believe this is still the case, but the rise in the cost of prescription drugs recently has put that value proposition at risk.
The Affordable Care Act – should we keep it?
The short answer is yes – while imperfect, the Affordable Care Act has done what it was intended to do to provide healthcare insurance coverage to millions of people. And if there was something better, it would have been proposed by someone by now.
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