Ben Hartman writes from Washington, D.C. He recently graduated from the George Washington University School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he worked as a freelance and full-time newspaper reporter in Boston, MA. He's interested in general preventive medicine, healthcare policy, clinical nutrition and medical education.

After being diagnosed with salivary gland cancer last year, he started a medical blog. He used the blog, which he titled A Medical Education, to share memorable, personal patient experiences with friends and family. He used the anecdotes to address pertinent healthcare topics: high cost of care, personal medical bankruptcy, patient-doctor relations, physician errors, and patient responsibility. Along with providing humor and entertainment, he used his blog to help patients navigate America’s healthcare system. In his Everyday Health blog, Healthcare Reform and You, he will share his own insights and answer reader questions about all aspects of the Affordable Care Act.