A new article based on the Employee Benefits Research Institute survey regarding patient engagement finds that health plan satisfaction doesn't increase over time.
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Health plan company Regence has issued data showing that its members save around $100 per visit when they use telemedicine versus an in-person visit. About $75 of the savings is the cost of the visit and the remainder is travel and wait time cost.
http://news.regence.com/releases/regence-data-measures-real-world-savings-for-telehealth-usersParachute Health drops in another $15 million in financing for its durable medical equipment ordering app for hospitals.
https://medcitynews.com/2018/06/parachute-health-eprescribing-for-medical-equipment/?utm_campaign=MCN%20Daily%20Top%20Stories&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63501917&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8aBFMSgPfghdDGmb2fzsjdxfVFIdpAuxmaq0PD3e2e-vsHlI0WZFMNisTkHXZF4MVU1IE__6bk5rQsQlkbdTvzC2yJpnuw4lQOhJ76HXZ--P7blqg&_hsmi=63501917&rf=1A draft review of research regarding telemedicine concludes that it generally provides as good a quality of care as in-person services and may reduce costs in some instances.
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Telemedicine vendor Teladoc is buying Advance Medical, which focuses on global virtual care solutions, for a whopping $352 million.
https://home.modernhealthcare.com/clickshare/authenticateUserSubscription.do?CSProduct=modernhealthcare-metered&CSAuthReq=1:TG5KRjZvQjhtRmNTUFllUy8wO:AID:BE611CC2B5138E2F16242A7BEFBA8946&AID=/20180604/TRANSFORMATION02/180609973&title=Teladoc%20acquires%20Advance%20Medical%20for%20%24352%20million&CSTargetURL=http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20180604/TRANSFORMATION02/180609973?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20180604-TRANSFORMATION02-180609973&utm_campaign=hitsLike many companies, Nokia has found digital health rarely lives up to the hype. The company paid 170 million euros for Withings, a digital scale and weight management company, and acquired other digital health businesses, which it is now selling for a pittance and for which it is taking a 141 million euro write-off.
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/05/31/1514548/0/en/Nokia-closes-the-sale-of-its-Digital-Health-business.htmlA brief report from the University of New Hampshire Center for Venture Research finds an ongoing robust angel investing environment.
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A PriceWaterhouseCooper report trumpets the wonderful new combinations of health care companies combining to remake our health system. Hogwash.
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A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine discusses trends in Medicare spending for care at the end-of-life.
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Medicare and Medicaid health plan company Wellcare is buying Meridian health plans for $2.5 billion, adding plans in the upper Midwest.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20180529/NEWS/180529921?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20180529-NEWS-180529921&utm_campaign=mh-alertA study in Health Affairs looks at the potential value of one precision medicine.
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About this Blog
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.