Research published in Health Affairs suggests that shorter measuring periods may more accurately identify problematic hospital readmissions.
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A study in Health Affairs confirms that using a limited provider network results in lower premiums, around 7% less on average, for plans on the health insurance exchanges, but many consumers are unaware of the consequences of a limited network, which may not include their usual providers, and that 7% doesn't seem like much in light of the horrendous premium rises expected for 2017.
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/35/10/1842.abstractAs many would suspect, a study regarding prostate cancer in the journal Medical Care finds that compliance with process quality measures has no relationship to true outcomes such as complications and patient satisfaction and quality of life.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Impact+of+Adherence+to+Quality+Measures+for+Localized%0D%0AProstate+Cancer+on+Patient-reported+Health-related%0D%0AQuality+of+Life+Outcomes%2C+Patient+Satisfaction%2C+and%0D%0ATreatment-related+ComplicationsIn a shocking, just shocking finding, further research confirms that if you give people free health care, they will use a lot of it.
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An analysis from Blues plans in Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana and New Mexico finds that high deductible plans reduce health spending by 9.2% over three years, on a pre and post high deductible plan enrollment basis. Little methodological information was given so hard to evaluate credibility of the study, but the results are consistent with other findings.
http://www.hcsc.com/consumer_directed_health_plans.htmlEven the Administration has now acknowledged that premiums for the benchmark silver plans on the reform law's insurance exchanges will rise at a huge rate.
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Notwithstanding hospitals' claims to the contrary, their employment of physicians appears to do nothing to improve quality.
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NexHealth gets $1.5 million for a cool idea that only 20 or 30 other companies are already pursuing---an app for scheduling doctor appointments.
http://medcitynews.com/2016/10/nexhealth-raises-1-5m-automated-physician-appointment-booking-system/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=36170813&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--miX_eqmPePfzOS680n5CU7dOBxGiwROHFNBR1NdnZOK40JdhvSwERQ1leR3EwvjUlAHKbixOWx8iWbfMCPe-Le7QrN_7T-xBcUeW-2DTp84QSc38&_hsmi=36170813&rf=1The propeller heads at Propeller Health raised an additional $21.5 million for their respiratory medication adherence product.
http://medcitynews.com/2016/10/propeller-health-series-c/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=36170813&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9w4ceAONzjUZsar7IfO8e1OPaI5gNH3dldtkqsdIuyKYO_E_QiJTwq0OxWY_SsGvddjSpmZLShLYj9UzXKQ4oIETjMoTRLlzOaS4-xTojJ08-08SU&_hsmi=36170813&rf=1A study published in JAMA finds that a value-driven program at the University of Utah Health Care system improved quality and lowered costs.
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