Give Us Those Old Time Conflcts of Interest: Stephen Parente, Key Opinion Leader for UnitedHealth and Redeemer of Former CEO William McGuire to Assistant Secretary of HHS

DiscussionSo here is just the latest embellishment in the march of people transiting the revolving door from health care corporations, and related firms, such as lobbying firms, the the executive branch during the Trump administration. Fortunately, good investigative journalists have looked more deeply into this cases, showcasing its more interesting aspects.  First, Mr Parente was not simply a corporate executive moving to the executive branch where he would be able to influence the fortunes of his former corporation.  Mr Parente was apparently a distinguished academic in a business school.  However  he hadconflicts of interest, albeit not obvious ones.  These were similar to those affecting many health care academics, as we have frequently discussed.  Making his conflicts inapparent may have allowed him to more effectively advocate for his commercial colleagues in the guise of a disinterested academic.  This is the same game many health care professionals and academics have played (that of thekey opinion leader), although many more in the apparent service of pharmaceutical and device marketing than in the service of corporate policy goals.  Nonetheless, such marketing or public relations, carried on by apparently unbiased academics who may really be paid, directly or indirectly, by corporate marketing or public relations departments, is much more insidious and deceptive than marketing or public relations carried out by identifiab...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: conflicts of interest Donald Trump impunity key opinion leaders legal settlements revolving doors stealth health policy advocacy UnitedHealth You heard it here first Source Type: blogs