A new direction for healthcare...
Safety and Quality
No one expects to be harmed by their health care. Emerging new rules of the road could make you safer. Learn more.
Consumers Union Documents
- Coalition supports comparative effectiveness research in Senate bill
Consensus Statement on the Critical Importance of Comparative Effectiveness Research December 2, 2009 A broad based coalition announced its support for provisions in the Senate health reform bill that would give doctors and patients more information about how different treatments compare to one another, and which treatments work best. The groups said, “We believe that Continue Reading
- Giving patients the right care at the right time
Far too many patients do not receive the care they need. An unacceptable portion of the care we receive is unsafe and even harmful. Too often doctors and consumers lack basic information about which treatments work best.
- Comparative Effectiveness: Common-sense research that saves lives, money
CU supports funding in stimulus bill for an independent, unbiased research to compare the effectiveness and safety of drugs, treatments and surgeries.
- To delay is deadly: why we need to stop hospital infections now
Consumers Union examines the hospital industry’s track record in reducing infections since the Institute of Medicine announced the urgent need to do so ten years ago. See our report and visit our dedicated patient safety campaign website.
- CU’s prescription for change: better health care
It’s time for real reforms that deal with soaring costs, unaffordable health coverage, and ending poor and unsafe care. We lay out our arguments for change.
- Five common fears about health care reform
The realities behind the fearful talk
- Consumers Union’s priorities for health reform
More choices, safer and quality care, and scientific evidence to make good health care decisions
- Reforming delivery of health care to improve quality, save money
CU comments and presents further recommendations.
- Keeping medical errors, hospital infections secret costs lives
Consumers Union urges public transparency in our health care system so consumers can know about safety, quality and real health costs.
- Comparative Effectiveness: Common-sense research that saves lives, money
CU supports funding in stimulus bill for an independent, unbiased research to compare the effectiveness and safety of drugs, treatments and surgeries.
Press Releases
- UnitedHealth to Keep Consumer-Friendly Health Reform Provisions
CR: The move is encouraging but doesn’t tackle critical elements of consumer protection
- CU: Health information exchange not patient-friendly
CU study finds progress but patients need greater access to electronic records and stronger privacy protections
- CU: IOM report urges more consumer protection for medical devices
The report called on the FDA, to develop a framework for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of these devices.
- Berwick appointed to head Medicare, Medicaid
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 Berwick Appointed to Head Medicare, Medicaid: Statement by Consumers Union Jim Guest, the President and CEO of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, made the following statement in support of Dr. Donald M. Berwick’s appointment to head Medicare and Medicaid: “We are relieved that President Obama moved ahead Continue Reading
- CU board chair Teresa Moran Schwartz nominated for Health Advisory Panel
Teresa is a visionary whose experience, integrity, and common-sense ability to get results make her an ideal choice to serve the public interest
- Health reform poised to make health care safer
New health care reform law includes important patient safety provisions that will save lives and dollars
- CU applauds House passage of health care bill
The House passed health care legislation which will now move the Senate for a floor vote
- CU launches first TV ad for health reform
CR Poll: 51 percent forced to make tough health choices in past year such as skipping doctor visits
- House health reform bill: The road to reform
Bill ensures virtually every American will have opportunity for affordable, comprehensive health care
- New report recommends 100 health topics that should get top priority
CU President Jim Guest on panel that prioritizes comparative effectiveness research
Blog Posts
- It’s time we pay doctors for quality, not quantity
If we ever hope to get spiraling health-care costs to come back down to earth, everyone involved is going to have to change how they do business. That means not only Congress, but us taxpayers, the insurance companies, the hospitals, and yes, the doctors.
- New leadership on the way for FDA
The much-beleagured Food and Drug Administration looks to be finally getting some strong leadership. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the former health commissioner for New York City, and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, currently Baltimore’s health commissioner, are expected to be nominated soon by President Obama.
- Pharma’s bitter pill — comparative effectiveness funding in stimulus bill
We get far too much of our information about medical treatments straight from the drug companies — and so do our doctors. Thankfully, there’s money in the stimulus package to fight the onslaught of drug reps and TV ads with real science.
- FTC should examine Pfizer-Wyeth merger
More concern over the proposed mega-merger of drug giants Pfizer and Wyeth and the anticipated end result for consumers: Higher drug prices and fewer breakthrough medicines.
- Pfizer Wyeth Merger ahead: More marketing, less value
The recently announced merger of drug giants Pfizer and Wyeth is another great argument for funding independent, unbiased research to help doctors and patients know which drugs and treatments work best – rather than who has the cleverest commercials and marketing slogans.
- Saving money and lives — electronic health records
Will transforming those silly, color-coded paper files that contain our medical histories into a computerized version really save us money?
News Articles
- States cut mental health budgets as demand increases Source: Kaiser Health News (Thursday November 10, 2011)
More than half the states have cut their mental health budgets since the recession hit home, while the economic slump has pushed up demand for such services, according to a new report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
- 'Comparative effectiveness research’ tackles medicine’s unanswered questions Source: The Washington Post (Monday August 15, 2011)
In American health care, nobody really owns the problem of figuring out what works best. The Obama administration created a permanent stream of funding for comparative effectiveness research by establishing, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an independent entity called the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI.
- Case study: A new approach to chronic disease care Source: HealthyCal (Wednesday August 10, 2011)
“Team Up For Health” (TUFH) is a pilot program that joins patients and their healthcare advocates with physician teams to broadly expand the care given to sufferers of chronic disease – in personnel and time. The goal is to keep people healthier and save money — for the patients and their families, the health care industry Continue Reading
- Panel formed to give consumers reliable treatment information Source: Kaiser Health News (Wednesday August 3, 2011)
The authors of the 2010 federal health law established an independent nonprofit organization called the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Its mission is to compare treatments to determine which options make the most sense for particular people.
- Medicare rule would decrease payments to hospitals with high re-admission rates Source: The Washington Post (Saturday July 30, 2011)
In an effort to save money and improve care, Medicare, the federal program for the elderly and disabled, is about to release a final rule aimed at getting hospitals to pay more attention to patients after discharge. The efforts, called for in last year’s health-care law, are part of a push to make hospitals the hub for coordinating care.
- Senate to add public option to health reform bill Source: Los Angeles Times (Tuesday October 27, 2009)
Would allow for Americans who don’t get coverage through their employers; states could opt out of the program
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