In this episode of Medical Matters Podcast, Dr. Peter Brier and Nurse Practitioner Kelly McCormick discuss the ongoing costs of healthcare.

Topics include the expenses, but also the business aspects: free-standing hospitals and practices began to be bought up under the belief that costs would come down. There is also the inflationary aspect, with pressure on healthcare providers to raise their prices in order to get better reimbursement from insurance companies.

There is also the issue of monopolies. A recent story in the Washington Post describes how hospitals under such collectives are driving up costs. Dr. McCormick also relates her own recent experiences.

The subject also shifts to the potential for national, single-payer healthcare, with some examples of residents traveling to the US from Canada or other nations. Older residents appear to travel here more for specialized care.

In this episode of Medical Matters Podcast, the doctors discuss the strides science has made in the treatment of cancer. An overview of cancerous cells and tumors is provided, along with early treatments, of which there were few.

There are four categories of cancer treatment. These methods include precision medicine, and personalized vaccines, radiotherapy, and diagnostics are also examined; the latter may further be assisted by Artificial Intelligence.

Recently, a new treatment for pancreatic cancer has been found to double survival time and can be found at Health.com. Another recent potential breakthrough came from research conducted at Cornell University.

Today's discussion will also demystify some of the concerns about cancer, its various forms, and the treatments now available.

In this episode of the Medical Matters Podcast, Dr. Peter Brier and Nurse Practitioner Kelly McCormick discuss the recent rise in cases of Ebola and Hantavirus -- the differences, symptoms, and treatments are considered.

The goal of this podcast is to provide background, historical context, and explain how the viruses are taking hold. Ebola is largely active in Central and West Africa, and cases may be tracked at this website -- as for Hantavirus, cases are seen in South Africa and South America, and may also be tracked.

Further, experts note that the US is likely not fully prepared to guard against an outbreak of either disease.