Blog

Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed To save on health insurance for your business (no matter how big or small), self-insure! If you work with the Houston Healthcare Initiative, we will guarantee that healthcare costs will not increase. How? First eliminate managed care and pay cash for routine healthcare. This will dramatically lower administrative costs. Second, … Read more 10 Ways: Save On Health Insurance Guaranteed

Please leave this field empty Sign Up for Dr. Goldstein’s Free New Book ‘The Cost of Healthcare and What to do About It’ Download the book from Dr. Goldstein "The Cost of Medical Care."

Heat stroke, fire ants, and food poisoning… Prevent and Treat Three Summer Ailments In Houston and Southeast Texas Summer comes early here in the Houston area. With each summer comes several common and avoidable illnesses that can ruin a vacation, a long weekend or any type of summer fun. Well known and respected Houston area … Read more Prevent and Treat Three Summer Ailments In Houston and Southeast Texas

Made possible because of ‘Obama Care’… Why Patient Centered Care and a Different Funding Method May be Better for Many Americans For those who ever tried something that said on the label ‘one size fits all’ there is some shared learning, because one size never fits all. This is true for socks, t-shirts and healthcare. … Read more Made possible because of ‘Obama Care’… Why Patient Centered Care and a Different Funding Method May be Better for Many Americans

Originally published in Healthcare Facilities Today. How Will Healthcare Change After Covid 19 Doctors, hospitals, state and federal government agencies along with drug and insurance companies have all made concessions to the public during the time of the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. This emergency affects every American so it stands to reason that what follows will … Read more How Will Healthcare Change for the Better or Worse After Covid 19

Top 5 Common Health Myths Debunked We are all seeking ways to improve our health conditions to live longer and better. For this reason, many myths surrounding health matters have risen. Some of these myths have been passed from generation to generation with no scientific backing whatsoever. Today we look at the top 5 common … Read more Top 5 Common Health Myths Debunked

Joe Biden wants Medicare to start at 60 Medicare Availability May Not Be Affordable Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic candidate for president, has eschewed some of the more grandiose schemes of some of his rivals, such as Medicare for All, which would replace the patchwork of private insurance and various government-provided plans … Read more Good? Joe Biden wants Medicare to start at 60

How Much Does Medicare Actually Cost? We Break It All Down Here. Medicare is a huge program that is used by millions of Americans each year, and is a trillion (yes, trillion) dollar government program. “According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, national health spending will grow at an average annual rate of 5.4 … Read more From Parade Magazine: How Much Does Medicare Actually Cost? We Break It All Down Here

Rescue The American Healthcare System In Six Steps According to respected neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein Dr. Steven Goldstein of the Houston Healthcare Initiative believes that the U.S. healthcare system can be rescued, and that American business can play an instrumental role. He describes the steps to salvage the industry on the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast. … Read more Rescue The American Healthcare System In Six Steps

What were the additional medical setbacks the American public suffered during the Covid-19 Pandemic….. To Deliver Preventive Care Enhancing Population Health After Covid-19 On the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, Dr. Steven Goldstein said that it was possible to reverse the preventative care reversals suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Everyone can stay healthier, and possibly live … Read more To Deliver Preventive Care Enhancing Population Health After Covid-19

Criticism of Doctor Prescribed Medicine Is A Bad Idea Physician prescribed Ivermectin to help treat Covid-19 may not be the biggest challenge facing doctors today. The bigger problem is likely the deliberate interference with a doctor’s ability to prescribe and treat patients as they believe is best. This is the subject of the latest edition … Read more Criticism of Doctor Prescribed Treatments Could Put Patients At Risk

Off-Label Ivermectin for Covid-19 Creates Controversy & Conflict October 14, 2021 – A doctors’ right to prescribe medicine for their patients is attracting attention of the wrong type when it comes to Covid-19 and ‘off-label’ prescriptions written for Ivermectin. This is the subject of the latest Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast from respected neurologist, Dr. Steven … Read more Off-Label Ivermectin for Covid-19 Creates Controversy & Conflict

Physicians Rights: Off Label Prescriptions of Ivermectin for Covid-19 Even in the year 2021 the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is reference  to the off-label prescription options doctors have always had that are still controversial when it comes to the ongoing global Covid 19 pandemic. Off-label prescribing is when a … Read more Physicians Rights: Off Label Prescriptions of Ivermectin for Covid-19

3 Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan & Health Savings Plans Could Make Medical Expenses More Affordable. The new administration, like all of them, has plans for Americans and their healthcare. On this edition of the podcast Dr. Steven Goldstein, who founded the Houston Healthcare Initiative, will get us all better acquainted with … Read more 3 Goals: Healthcare Changes to the American Families Plan Could Create Affordable Healthcare

As covered in the U.K.’s Daily Mail… How Long Term Pandemic Stress, and Brain Changes Equals Weight Gain August 30, 2021– Human brains may not be wired for long term stress. On his most recent podcast, well known neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, Dr. Steven Goldstein, discussed the biological reasons and brain … Read more How Long Term Pandemic Stress, and Brain Changes Equals Weight Gain

It’s not all your fault, it’s evolution… Pandemic Lockdown Weight Gain & the Medical Reasons for it. At a time when Americans should have been focused on their health, as a population they were anything but. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown the average American gained two pounds a month, according to a study published in the The Journal … Read more Pandemic Lockdown Weight Gain & the Medical Reasons for it

On the Houston Healthcare Initiative Podcast… The Number of Primary Care Doctors is Shrinking, and That is Really Bad News July 20, 2021 – The Number of Primary Care Doctors is Shrinking. An important contributor to the health of Americans is shrinking and the effects on the overall health of people in this country is and … Read more The Number of Primary Care Doctors is Shrinking, and That is Really Bad News

Access to and paying for healthcare is a topic that Dr. Goldstein talks about a lot on the podcast and this one is no exception. But in this case access to primary care is a matter of the number of doctors who choose to pursue primary care as a career. Pay for those roles is … Read more Healthcare Payment Reform is Critical to Improving Primary Care

UnitedHealthcare and the non-emergency emergency… Who Decides If You Need To Visit The Emergency Room? On the latest edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, respected neurologist and Houston Healthcare Initiative founder Dr. Steven Goldstein discusses the proposed UnitedHealthcare policy of after the fact review and in some cases possible denial of  some emergency room … Read more UnitedHealthcare and the non-emergency emergency… Who Decides If You Need To Visit The Emergency Room?

Nanotechnology concerns the manipulation of materials so small that they are on the molecular or even subatomic level. The new technology, according to SciDev.Net, has enormous implications for the practice of medicine. For example, people who are given drugs to combat cancer do not experience the entire dose at the site of the tumor. This … Read more Healthcare and Nanotechnology

On the latest edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, respected Houston based neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein describes how people can best use the often-overlooked benefit known as the Health Savings Account. The Health Savings Account, or HSA, is a type of savings account that is used for medical expenses. Congress established them in 2003 … Read more How To ‘Hack’ Your Health Savings Account

With over 40 years of health care and management experience, Randy Oostra President and CEO of Promedica presents at TEDxTraverseCity 2020. Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE (63), is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ProMedica, a not-for-profit mission-based, integrated health and well-being organization headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. The $7 billion organization serves communities in 28 … Read more Five Numbers That Could Reform Health Care

Announcing a new Healthcare Consulting FREE SERVICE offered by the Houston Healthcare Initiative for companies providing health insurance to their employees. HEALTHCARE CONSULTING What we will do 1.Listen Allow the company to explain what are the specific problems they face with the health of their employees and how they are currently addressing them. 2.Learn What … Read more Healthcare consulting

The short answer to the question as to whether you have to pay for the Covid-19 vaccine is no, according to the CDC website on the vaccine. The federal government, which paid for the development of the vaccines either directly or by promising to pay for their production, is providing shots free of charge. The … Read more Do I Have to Pay for the Covid 19 Vaccine?

8 Questions and Answers… What to Know When Considering a New Doctor May 11, 2021 – What should anyone know or ask when considering a new doctor or primary care physician? On his regular podcast, Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative tells his listeners what to know and ask when considering a … Read more 8 Questions and Answers… What to Know When Considering a New Doctor

The United States has the highest health care expenditures in the world, in terms of absolute dollars, dollars per person, and as a percentage of GDP 1.  The United States is also one of the few industrialized countries to have very limited government health coverage for working adults.  While insurance premiums are currently price transparent, … Read more New Health Care Pricing Transparency Rules in 2021

April 29, 2021 – On his latest podcast, Dr. Steven Goldstein told his audience that Americans gained a good bit of weight during the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But that was not the only bad news. The sad irony that obesity increased the risk of hospitalization due to the Covid-19 infection was not … Read more Obesity And Inactivity During Pandemic Caused Greater Covid Infection

The solution to this issue is simple but not easy… Obesity Linked to Greater Risk to and from Covid-19 Infection. People who are overweight were already at more risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. We can now add complications due to the Covid-19 infection to the list. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) … Read more The solution to this issue is simple but not easy… Obesity Linked to Greater Risk to and from Covid-19 Infection

The right to health was initially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1946. According to WHO, the enjoyment of health is a fundamental right of every human being regardless of race, political belief, or religion. The debate over whether health care is a right or privilege has been raging for more than a … Read more What you need to know in Health Care.

The number of uninsured people in the United States has slowly been rising for the past few years. A KFF analysis of the data gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 10.9% or 28.9 million people under the age of 65 were uninsured in 2019. This problem is only made worse by the fact … Read more Proper health care when you can’t afford health insurance.

Where did the money go? Insurance companies keep about 33%…  Healthcare By The Numbers Where did the money go? What is the American public buying when it pays for its health insurance and is it a good value? If the public knew that their insurance company kept as much as 33% of what they spent … Read more Where did the money go? Insurance companies keep about 33% Healthcare By The Numbers

Where Does the Money Go When Paying for Healthcare; Prices, Costs, and Value… Healthcare by the Numbers March 23, 2021 – On the latest edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, Houston based neurologist and the founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Dr. Steven Goldstein, describes the numbers and dollars associated with health insurance and … Read more Healthcare by the Numbers

A popular opinion in the United States is that the current health care system is broken. Health care in the United States costs more than that of comparable countries but does not provide greater or even equal quality of care when compared to those same countries. Many people and organizations are actively attempting to fix … Read more What’s increasing the cost of your healthcare?

Many complain about our current healthcare system but little has been accomplished to make it patient centered. I believe that a patient centered healthcare system can be accomplished by using a patient owned healthcare cooperative model that is free from the constraints of the CPT codes used for billing and by providing financial incentives to … Read more Imagining a patient centered healthcare system

A Brief Look at the Numbers: Average cost of hospitalization in 2018 was about $10K; the average charge with private insurance was about $20K (The average charge to the uninsured ranges from $40K to $60K) Average number of hospitalizations per year was about 9/100 for ages below 64. Total annual payments for hospitalization/100 people= 9x20K= … Read more A Brief Look at the Numbers

The United States has taken an important step in reducing the cost of health care by mandating price transparency. Unfortunately, people are not incentivized to care about the actual cost of health care under the current system of insurance and care plans. This lack of incentive is one of the major reasons why the cost … Read more Healthcare: The high cost you’ll never see

In a time when so many lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 Pandemic…. Job & Health Insurance Loss Come and Go Together; How To Find Affordable Coverage March 2, 2021 — In December 2020, 66% of Americans who answered a survey said they fear they won’t be able to afford health care this year. … Read more Did The Covid-19 Pandemic Cost You Your Job and Health Insurance?

In a time when so many lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 Pandemic…. Job & Health Insurance Loss Come and Go Together; How To Find Affordable Coverage March 2, 2021 — The Pandemic Cost Me My Job And Health Insurance Now What? In December 2020, 66% of Americans who answered a survey said they … Read more Job & Health Insurance Loss Come and Go Together; How To Find Affordable Coverage

Dr. Steven Goldstein discussed the spirit of the law that requires hospitals to make their pricing known to the public on his February 5, 2021 podcast, Medstar Washington Offers Transparency Example for Hospitals. You can listen to that podcast by clicking here: Hospital Price Transparency Podcast. In late 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services … Read more Medstar Washington Offers Transparency Example for Hospitals

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against the Covid-19 virus use an mRNA technique to guard human beings against the disease. The technique “teaches” human cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response, hence antibodies that attack the virus. Now, according to The Week, BioNTech has developed a treatment using the same approach that … Read more Healthcare: mRNA vaccine could become a new, effective treatment for MS

Some of the most creative writing in business lately are the ‘reasons’ why hospitals and other healthcare providers are not able to post their prices, as the law requires. Respected Houston based neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, Dr. Steven Goldstein, understands the letter and intent of the new rules on price transparency … Read more Hospital Price Transparency & The Creative Ways Hospitals Find To Avoid Posting Their Prices For The Public

Hospital Price Transparency Podcast How Some Hospitals Are Balking At These New Rules And One That Is Not This week respected Houston based neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein will discuss the price’s patients are charged by doctors and hospitals. Specifically, on the new rules about healthcare price transparency. Specifically, on the new rules about healthcare and … Read more Hospital Price Transparency Podcast

The EMR has several advantages over the paper charts that it replaced. It is legible, cannot be misplaced and it eliminated paper prescriptions and paper orders. However, the current iterations have several disadvantages.  The information density is very low in that a physician trying to understand the clinical course of the patient finds it difficult … Read more Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Healthcare: What is it? Healthcare is simply taking care of a person’s health. The complexity of healthcare comes from the individual as a whole. Healthcare differs from one person to another. Some may require more attention and some, not as much. Everyone who is concerned about their body from the physical, to the mental and … Read more Healthcare is Necessary for Wellbeing and Contentment

How Haven Failed at Repairing America’s Healthcare System. The reason that healthcare and associated costs for medical treatment are so high is the way pricing is established, managed care. Making healthcare more affordable and accessible was what Haven was supposed to do.  Its failure to address how prices are kept artificially high via managed care … Read more How Haven Failed at Repairing America’s Healthcare System

A healthcare company blessed with lots of money, high tech abilities and really smart people will close up the end of January. Of course, this was Haven, the joint venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan-Chase. Its purpose was to use the leverage of its tens of thousands of employees and its expertise in technology … Read more Why Haven Failed To Fix Healthcare

Big fail. Haven, a joint venture between Amazon, JPMorgan-Chase, and Berkshire Hathaway, booted the chance to reform their collective employee health insurance, in part, by not working on the correct challenge, according to respected neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein.  Dr. Goldstein hosts the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with a focus on reforming the highest priced healthcare … Read more With Haven in the rearview mirror… Failures to Reform U.S. Healthcare System Are Because the System Is the Problem

Many models are being put forth to reduce the cost of healthcare in the United States right now. Two of these models include the reference-based pricing healthcare system and the value-based pricing healthcare system. Let’s briefly discuss each of these models. Reference-Based Pricing Healthcare In a reference-based pricing healthcare system, insurers define a reference price … Read more Fixing Healthcare Pricing by Using New Healthcare Models

Why Did Haven Healthcare Fail? Because they focused and worked on the wrong thing. That is the topic and lesson from Dr. Steven Goldstein on the latest edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Podcast. Haven was a joint venture of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan.  It was formed three years ago to better manage healthcare … Read more Why Did Haven Healthcare Fail?

Prices Government to mandate a single price at Medicare rate for all medical services. This rate applies to cash payment at time of service as well as insurance payment. Other services e.g. private room, premium food, entertainment would not be covered. Providers could opt out by not accepting insurance and set their own prices. Providers … Read more Medicare for all

In regard to your recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Why the Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Venture Collapsed: Healthcare Was Too Big a Problem” and the reasons for failure.  Haven failed because it did not use first principles thinking. The people that ran Haven thought that by using technology, innovative ideas and big data they … Read more Why did Haven fail?

The news that broke last November that both Pfizer and Moderna had developed an effective vaccine against Covid-19 brought hope to a planet that had been suffering for months from the ravages of the once-in-a-century pandemic. An article that came out at the time in the Wall Street Journal offered explanations for how the vaccines … Read more Healthcare: How the new Covid-19 vaccine technology could treat other diseases

Guest Link from Dr. CRISTIN A. DICKERSON, MD. Dr. Cristin A. Dickerson is the founding partner of Green Imaging. Her article about how the public will be sent the bill  for the Covid-19 pandemic is very revealing. To read it please follow this link: Are You Ready for the Coronavirus-Induced Spike in Healthcare Premiums? WHO … Read more Healthcare Premiums? WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE COSTS?

In The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Who Suffers Most? January 5, 2021 – In the midst of an ongoing and worsening global pandemic, there are those who are more likely to be sicker and die than others. This according to respected neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative. He told his regular podcast … Read more In The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Who Suffers Most?

Healthcare reform in unsettled times. That times are troubled was never truer than in 2020 and 2021 will start out that way. But in an unsettled time with so much of the nation’s attention turned to medical care, could it be the time to really push healthcare reform and what might that reform look like? … Read more The Case for Healthcare Reform in Unsettled Times

Whether Obamacare has made healthcare more expensive is a tricky question to answer, considering that the Affordable Care Act is mind numbingly complex and is supposed to cover a huge, diverse population with different incomes, family circumstances and healthcare needs. The answer depends on whom one asks and who one asks about. It is clear, … Read more Did Obamacare make healthcare more expensive? It Depends

When one focuses on how to deal with a health care crisis such as the covid-19 pandemic, the natural tendency is to dwell on things like treatments and vaccines. However, some researchers at the University of Houston have hit upon a technological mitigation for the Covid-19 virus and, indeed, just about any virus, in the … Read more Healthcare: An air filter that kills the coronavirus

In the New Year What a New Administration May Mean for Healthcare Reform  December 2, 2020 – The incoming Biden administration could force mandates for private firms and their employees to provide for and buy health insurance. This according to Dr. Steven Goldstein on his regular podcast. The respected neurosurgeon and founder of the Houston … Read more What a New Administration May Mean for Healthcare Reform

In wake of the 2020 election outcome… For These Uncertain Times What Type of Health Insurance Is Best? November 24, 2020 – According to Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, “with the current system we have, I would buy a policy that has a high deductible,” he told his podcast audience. “This … Read more For These Uncertain Times What Type of Health Insurance Is Best?

November is health care selection month… Are There Alternatives To Traditional Health Insurance? November 16, 2020 — With November the time many Americans are asked to choose their health insurance coverage, the cost, expense, and value are on people’s minds. Are There Alternatives To Traditional Health Insurance? Healthcare is expensive. The healthcare and medical insurance … Read more Are There Alternatives To Traditional Health Insurance?

In the United States, our health care is among the most expensive in the world. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) data shows that in 2017, the U.S. spent nearly double the health care expenditures per capita of comparable countries (analysis done by KFF). Despite this fact, the quality of health care in … Read more Healthcare Costs Keep Rising. Why?

Compare Democratic and Republican Healthcare Plans and What the Public Can Do About Them. The healthcare and medical insurance industries are massive with billions of dollars of income. They are able to buy advertising and lobbyists to gain every advantage that money can buy. To listen to the podcast, click below.  Do we really have any … Read more Compare Democratic and Republican Healthcare Plans and What the Public Can Do About Them

November 3, 2020 – Is it possible to get good health insurance coverage in 2021 and save money on treatments, prescription drugs and the policy too? The answer according to Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative and respected neurologist, is yes. On his regular podcast Dr. Goldstein, describes how this could work. … Read more November Is Health Coverage Selection Month; Which One Is Best?

Health care is a controversial issue in the United States. With so much emphasis on health insurance like Medicaid, there is a lot of confusion on whether health care is a right or a privilege. Here is a look at the definition of health care and whether it is a right or privilege. What is … Read more What You Need To Know About Health Care

Will more or less time save or cost lives?  Shortcuts On Regulations For The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Vaccine Research According to Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, it usually takes years for any vaccine to be developed, tested on humans and finally introduced to the public. What of the Shortcuts On Regulations For The … Read more Will more or less time save or cost lives? Shortcuts On Regulations For The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Vaccine Research

NOTE: Child COVID-19 vaccine trials to begin in Florida this week. Watch how Dr. Steven Goldstein, founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative, contributed to a major television feature on vaccine trials in the state of Florida. You can see him and the full story here: WFTV ABC in Orlando, Florida news on Covid-19 vaccine trials. … Read more Child COVID-19 vaccine trials to begin in Florida this week.

What Will Vaccine Liability Waivers Mean For The Covid-19 Inoculation. There will be issues with the new Coronavirus/Covid-19 vaccine because there were issues with every single vaccine introduced before. There are currently numerous studies and trials devoted to finding a shot that will give immunity to the recipient against the deadly and contagious Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic. … Read more What Will Vaccine Liability Waivers Mean For The Covid-19 Inoculation

When we talk about rights in the American tradition, we generally are considering things that citizens enjoy that the government cannot take away, as enumerated in the Bill of Rights. The first amendment, for example, says that Congress “shall make no law” concerning the free exercise of religion, speech, press, and the right to peacefully … Read more Is Healthcare a Right?

Off Label Prescriptions Removed From The Table…. Overly Zealous Watchdogs Interfere with Patients and their Doctors October 1, 2020 – Does a physician or the pharmacist know what is best for a patient? When the Ohio Board of Pharmacy ruled that doctors could not prescribe the off-label treatment hydroxychloroquine to treat the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic it … Read more Off Label Prescriptions Removed From The Table Overly Zealous Watchdogs Interfere with Patients and their Doctors

Federal Government Goofs Delayed Coronavirus Tests By 6-8 Weeks. On his regular podcast Dr. Steven Goldstein described how failures within the federal government delayed proper testing for the Coronavirus/Covid-19 virus by several weeks.  The outcome? Tracking and tracing the infection early in the process was impossible. The Houston Healthcare Initiative Podcast is available on SoundCloud, … Read more Federal Government Goofs Delayed Coronavirus Tests By 6-8 Weeks

Healthcare IT News is reporting that the Health and Human Services Department has released a document that addresses the unique problems facing healthcare providers and patients in rural America. A crucial part of the Rural Action Plan involves distance or telemedicine, in which healthcare providers consult with patients over a two-way computer network. Rural America … Read more Healthcare and Telemedicine

In a special edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast best-selling author and investigative journalist Gerald Posner discusses the sordid history of the drug business from his most recent work, ‘Pharma: Greed Lies and the Poisoning of America.’ It reads like a ‘true crime’ novel, though everything in the volume is true. ‘Pharma: Greed Lies … Read more Best Selling Author Gerald Posner Discusses ‘Pharma: Greed Lies and Poisoning of America’

On this special edition of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, author Gerald Posner discusses the history of the pharmaceutical industry and his new book “Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America.” This book describes the history of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and how we and they got to the place we are now. Among … Read more Pharma: Greed Lies and the Poisoning of America

Possible Remedy for the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Global Pandemic Invites Immediate Controversy. On August 23, 2020 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a decision to grant blood plasma treatment for Coronavirus/Covid-19 patients with a fast-track authorization for its emergency use as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The next day, claims about the effectiveness of this treatment … Read more Possible Remedy for the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Global Pandemic Invites Immediate Controversy

Blood plasma covid treatment and pharmaceutical industry reform. On August 23, 2020 the Food and Drug Administration’s announced a decision to grant blood plasma treatment for Coronavirus/Covid-19 patients with a  fast-track authorization for its emergency use as a treatment for hospitalized COVID patients. This “emergency use authorization” triggered an outcry from scientists and doctors, who said … Read more Blood Plasma Covid Treatment and Pharmaceutical Industry Reform

An association healthcare plan is a method of providing the advantages of a large group health insurance plan enjoyed by larger corporations, the federal government, or state governments for small businesses and individuals. Associations based on a shared profession, a line of business, or even just a geographic location, such as a state or city, … Read more Association Healthcare Plans

The Reforms Big Pharmaceutical Companies Need. On his regular podcast, Dr. Steven Goldstein advocated dramatic reforms for the pharmaceutical industry and with good reason. To hear the podcast go to: SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Backtracks, LibSyn, or the website at www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org. Dr. Goldstein insists that for the health and welfare of the American public, the congress … Read more The Reforms Big Pharmaceutical Companies Need

Retracted Article Mischaracterizes Hydroxychloroquine. No one can un-ring a bell. No article can be ‘un-read’ or any eventual retraction definitely seen and understood. There are few more illustrative examples lately than when respected medical journals published information about the use of Hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for the Coronavirus/Covid-19 virus they later retracted. On his … Read more The Source of the Misunderstanding: Retracted Article Mischaracterizes Hydroxychloroquine

When discussing the “right” to adequate healthcare, it’s beneficial to first define what sort of right that is. Generally speaking, there are two possibilities: civil rights, or human rights. Civil rights are those granted to all legal members of a certain political state, while human rights are those which can be expected simply by virtue … Read more What is Healthcare?

In the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic Age Come Ideas for Drug Price Reform In the coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic age drug reform is topical. According to Dr. Steven Goldstein on his podcast, “without meaningful modification, drug prices and pressure on patient’s ability to pay and manufacturers resources for discovery will reach a tipping point.” Dr. Steven Goldstein lists the … Read more Was There Ever A Better Time To Reform Drug Prices?

The Scare of Medical Debt Many people in the United States accumulate thousands of dollars of medical debt. According to CNBC.com, 137 million Americans struggle with medical bills with 66.5% leading to personal bankruptcy. One of the reasons for medical debt is the lack of transparency of between the consumer and the insurance companies. As … Read more The Effect of Healthcare Pricing and the Solutions Proposed

Why Are Prescription Drugs Cheaper in Canada? Even those with private, employer funded health insurance gasp at the price of some prescription medications. Learning that the same medicine is available north of the border at a substantially reduced price often produces other emotional reactions from surprise to anger. There are plenty of reasons those drugs … Read more Why Are Prescription Drugs Cheaper in Canada?

Even for those who have private insurance… Patients Can Save Money When They Pay Their Doctor In Cash Even patients who have their own health insurance can often save themselves money by paying cash. The Houston Healthcare Initiative website (www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org) now has a page that lists seventy-eight separate medical services that will accept cash payments. … Read more Patients Can Save Money When They Pay Their Doctor In Cash

You have probably heard the term “healthcare provider” being used by insurance companies or on television. It is a broad term that may leave you wondering what a healthcare provider is. Who Is A Healthcare Provider? A healthcare provider is a professional or a company that provides you with care. Providers are dedicated to making … Read more What Is A Healthcare Provider?

Dark Daily, a newsletter serving clinical labs and pathology groups, recently reported that a Walmart in Calhoun, Georgia has opened the second of the retail giant’s Health Centers. The Health Center offers low-cost doctor visits along with a number of other healthcare services such as lab work and x-rays. The prices for each service are … Read more What Walmart Health Centers May Mean for the Future of Healthcare

Court Rules Against the Hospital Industry Mandates Price Disclosure. Hospital prices that were historically rigged by the medical business along with the insurance industry, and kept secret from the public, will see the light of day January 1, 2021. This because on June 23, 2020 a federal judge in Washington D.C. dismissed a suit brought … Read more Court Rules Against the Hospital Industry Mandates Price Disclosure

This week on the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast, Dr. Steven Goldstein takes a deeper dive into a court decision where hospitals must reveal private negotiated rates with insurers starting this coming January 1, 2021. Plus, he will provide more insight into how hospitals decide what and how much to charge us, and man is that … Read more What The Court Ruled About Hospital Price Transparency

The actual price of what a medical test, procedure, exam and often prescription cost and how charges are assigned is not based on the free market. Instead, prices are agreed on via secret agreements between hospitals and insurance companies. This is the subject of the Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein. To hear … Read more Secret Revealed on Pricing Practices of Health Insurance Companies & Hospitals

Transparency and the need for it in different industries is a word and requirement we hear a lot about. It should not surprise anyone that some insurers and hospital groups are working to block the implementation of federal rules that make hospital pricing transparent. They argue these will confuse consumers and potentially lead to higher … Read more Why Healthcare Insurance & Hospitals Do Not Want You To Know About Pricing

Provided at no charge by the Houston Healthcare Initiative.   For Those Who Lost Their Employer Funded Health Insurance Resources Are Available Because of the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, 25–43 million people could lose their jobs and their health insurance. People who had a serious illness before the outbreak and job loss could be dealt a literally … Read more For Those Who Lost Their Employer Funded Health Insurance; Resources Are Available

From Heart Attacks to Cancer Screenings and Chemotherapy During the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, people who did not have symptoms of the disease put themselves at risk as those with chronic conditions missed treatments, skipped appointments and chose not to report serious symptoms; this is the healthcare not received during the coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic. Many who lost their … Read more The Healthcare Not Received During the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic

Healthcare prices in the United States are growing at a rate that is becoming increasingly difficult for many Americans to afford. At Houston Healthcare Initiative, we are proud to help patients find healthcare solutions that don’t break the bank. Here are some of the most important things to know about healthcare spending in the United … Read more How Much Does the US Spend on Healthcare?

Here Are Some Resources Even with fewer jobs lost in May than anticipated Americans now experience an unemployment rate of 13.3% or 21 million people out of work due to the coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic. On top of lost income, loss of employer provided health insurance makes the cost even higher for those who through no fault … Read more Job Losses Equal Employer Funded Health Insurance Loss

How the Covid-19 pandemic will leave its mark on US health care From hospital closures to the rise of telehealth, five ways the system is already transforming. By Dylan Scott Updated Apr 22, 2020, 6:00am EDT The flaws in America’s health system have been evident for decades to anyone who cared to look, but the coronavirus pandemic has left no … Read more News About Reform and the Covid 19 Pandemic

Listen to Dr. Steven Goldstein’s interview with Dr. Laurie Betito on CJAD-AM in Montreal, Quebec. He is on the second half of the program. To listen, click here: CJAD-AM Interview Please leave this field empty Sign Up for Dr. Goldstein’s Free New Book ‘The Cost of Healthcare and What to do About It’ Download the book … Read more Listen to Dr. Steven Goldstein’s interview with Dr. Laurie Betito

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Please leave this field empty Sign Up for Dr. Goldstein’s Free New Book ‘The Cost of Healthcare and What to do About It’ Download the book from Dr. Goldstein "The Cost of Medical Care."

How Will Healthcare Change After Coronavirus Covid-19 Doctors, hospitals, state and federal government agencies along with drug and insurance companies have all made concessions to the public during the time of the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. This emergency affects every American so it stands to reason that what follows will too. But will common sense, red … Read more How Will Healthcare Change After Coronavirus Covid-19

Until a couple of weeks ago, the use of telemedicine was mostly for convenience.

Appointments via the Internet are now available for new and existing patients of Dr. Steven Goldstein.

From Fox 26 Morning Television News – Click here to watch the interview: Fox 26 Morning News. The adult obesity rate in Harris County is a reported 28 percent. It’s a complicated issue that many health experts will say has a lot to do with access to healthcare. The Houston Health Initiative aims to bridge some of … Read more Complications & consequences of undiagnosed & untreated obesity

Surprise medical bills exist because some doctors are not part of any insurance company’s network and can charge higher rates than what insurance companies and hospitals agree to.

Patients may go to the hospital designated as in network by their insurance, but the doctors who treat them may not be part of that network. This is one of the main reasons for big bills even among those who have health insurance. Patients rarely have any say about who treats them, especially in the … Read more Unexpected Emergency Room Bills Add To Patient Ills

There are plenty of people who retire before the age of 65, whether this was their choice or had retirement thrust upon them. Regardless of the circumstance, these people need health coverage. And since they are ‘retired’ they likely need low or lower cost coverage without sacrificing their quality of care. There are several options for those people according to Houston based neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative CO-OP, Dr. Steven Goldstein.

The Houston Healthcare Initiative began for one reason and that was to improve health, lower healthcare costs and provide access to doctors, medicine and treatment. There is a myth promulgated by the insurance companies that you can’t get access to healthcare if you do not have insurance. This is just not true. Starting Monday June … Read more Special Offer From The Houston Healthcare Initiative

A new way to fund healthcare is now available. The Houston Healthcare Initiative (HHI) is a member owned, non-profit medical co-op that is now open for business. Led by Houston based neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein, the HHI (https://houstonhealthcareinitiative.org) will replace traditional health insurance for qualified individuals and families and provide incentives for members to adopt … Read more Houston Healthcare Initiative Offers Affordable Health Care Via “Cooperative” Payments

February 5, 2019 – Because of the way their bodies are constructed, men snore more than women, but that is not the least of the reasons to be interested in this much discussed and debated subject. There are negative health considerations linked to snoring. These were the topic Houston based neurologist and founder of the … Read more Four Reasons Snoring Is Bad For Houstonians & What To Do About It

February 12, 2019 (Houston, TX.) Houston based neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative (www.houstohealthcareinitiative.org) Dr. Steven Goldstein talked about the risk of strokes and their relationship to weight and obesity on his weekly podcast. To hear his weekly podcast go to: iTunes,Soundcloud or the Houston Healthcare Initiative web site. While the outcomes from strokes … Read more Overweight People Have Double the Risk For Stroke… Is Losing Weight More Difficult Than Recovering from A Stroke?

February 25, 2019 – Dr. Steven Goldstein told listeners to his weekly podcast that not only were opioid pain killers not the best option for treating back pain but that they could make the situation worse. Dr. Goldstein is a well-known neurologist and the founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Podcast. The podcast can be … Read more Opioids and Pain Killers Can Make Back Conditions Worse

How Insurance Companies Medical Providers and Drug Companies Game the System March 5, 2019 – For those feeling beat up, picked on, and maybe even a bit bullied by their doctor, hospital and health insurance company there is probably good reason to believe that way. Doctors and hospitals are charging more for services and insurance … Read more How Insurance Companies Medical Providers and Drug Companies Game the System

March 13, 2019 (Houston, TX) — Actor Luke Perry passed away last week following what his publicist described as a ‘massive’ stroke. Perry was 52 years old. His death leaves people at or close to his age wondering if this could happen to them. That is the topic this week on the Houston Healthcare Initiative … Read more How Strokes Happen When You Are the Same Age As Luke Perry

The Houston Healthcare Initiative Co-Op Podcast Page! What Is Prior Authorization & What To Do About It Prior approval is a way that insurance companies decide on how or whether a prescribed medical service, medication, test or procedure meets their coverage criteria. What can people do? Listen to find out.   What If I Do Not … Read more HHI Podcast Page

From Houston Style Magazine – A new way to fund healthcare is now available. The Houston Healthcare Initiative (HHI) is a member owned, non-profit medical co-op that is now open for business. Led by Houston based neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein, the HHI (https://houstonhealthcareinitiative.org) will replace traditional health insurance for qualified individuals and families and provide incentives for members … Read more Houston Healthcare Initiative Offers Affordable Health Care Via “Cooperative” Payments

The Houston Healthcare Initiative (HHI) is a member owned, non-profit medical co-op. Led by Houston based neurologist Dr. Steven Goldstein, the HHI will replace traditional health insurance for qualified individuals and families and provide incentives for members to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. HHI will provide affordable medical coverage through a combination of negotiated rates, low … Read more Press Background Houston Healthcare Initiative

Houston (September 4, 2018) – The cost of health care and what causes rates for services and insurance to go up at a startling rate are complicated. What is not that complex is the need for an affordable way to pay for most medical and doctor related expenses. That is what the Houston Healthcare Initiative … Read more Houston Healthcare Initiative Offers Affordable Health Care Via “Cooperative” Payments