In 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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A survey from peer60 gives additional insights into how doctors view EHRs.
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A study in NEJM finds that while ten-year mortality was similar for treatment or surveillance for prostate cancer, failure to treat led to more metastases and disease progression. Proponents of ending PSA screening and what they view as excessive diagnoses of prostate cancer may be happy, but for a few men, late diagnosis and/or surveillance just means worse disease and outcomes. The same approach is coming on mammograms.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1606220About 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.