Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Psychology Today Blog–Psychiatrists Waste Millions of Hours Obtaining Prior Authorizations from Insurers

It is a travesty that insurance companies single out psychiatric patients for this kind of scrutiny.  Your physician doesn’t have to call an insurance company to admit you if you are a woman in labor or a kid with appendicitis. … Continue reading

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My book Almost Addicted won an award for excellence in medical writing!

Several days ago I received notice that Almost Addicted won the Will Solemine Award for Excellence in Medical Writing by the American Medical Writers Association.  This is an award for medical writing that is geared toward a general audience.  I am … Continue reading

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Healthcare in the US–In Need of a Booster Shot, if not Replacement Surgery

Some claim the US has the best health care in the world but even a cursory review of data suggests otherwise.  Unfortunately, Obamacare is neither going to help or hurt the reality of the healthcare status of the US, despite … Continue reading

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When May I Shoot A Student?

Op-ed in today’s New York Times says it all: www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/opinion/when-may-i-shoot-a-student.html?_r=0

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What To Do If a Family Member is Abusing Drugs

See my latest Psychology Today post here for my thoughts on this topic.

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Psychiatric Care is Hard to Find, Even With “Good” Insurance

Lots of psychiatrists do not take any insurance, as documented by a recent paper in JAMA Psychiatry and written about in Newsweek.

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Do You Know Anyone Who Refuses Medicare?

Instead of the dramatically confusing largely private insurance options offered by Obamacare, why not streamline things and offer Medicare-for all?  I don’t know a single individual who refuses to utilize his or her Medicare benefits, no matter his or her … Continue reading

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Should You Drug Test Your Kid?

All things considered, the potential downsides of home drug testing outweigh the potential benefits of doing so.  See my latest Psychology Today post here for more.

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The Dangers of Synthetic Marijuana

Please see my just published post on Psychology Today.  Although it stimulates the same brain receptors that marijuana does, synthetic marijuana (also known as K2 or Spice, among other names) is dramatically more potent than marijuana itself and also carries … Continue reading

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New Movie about Doctors’ Participation in Torture in the “War on Terror”

The movie is called Doctors of the Dark Side.  You can see a trailer for the movie here.  The website also has a study guide which provides invaluable information as well as resources for further information on this whole topic.

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