According to new research from the NBER, it is not just same market hospital mergers that can raise costs, but cross-market ones as well.
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It gives us great happiness to report that HealthJoy, a "virtual health care guide" has raised $3 million for virtually nothing.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-healthjoy-startup-funding-gohealth-20160406-story.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=28168114&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_gncc-8RldRNLU5g6BmS-iHIRBrf25Ex7_sQH_gbn7QGofcCs098uw9DDxIqVLUZtBumLzCD2dYBaHLNeXdMAFYxvd_ECZhNq9_U3gFv8LaCdVL6M&_hsmi=28168114Inventiv, which was public once before, is going that way again, hoping to raise up to $500 million in an IPO.
http://www.fiercecro.com/story/inventiv-go-public-hopes-raise-500-million/2016-04-06?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWmpVME5HTXpZemM0WVdOayIsInQiOiJpMkt2RXlkXC9cL1NacUMxZW03YnQ0cytNTW03enZucHB3T1ZOQ1pXVmVQXC9CMFg2c1M5QXgzVFY0SFFUUzZiMWxxU2s4NWVTaVFjbzB4dnBicVZUbzZ6UTJ3V3o3KzRcL0l3dkZFMGV4Qk1VWEk9In0%253DAn analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation analyzes factors underlying consumers' choices of plans on the insurance exchanges.
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Primary care doctors often prescribe drugs in questionable circumstances and a NEJM article discusses how to reduce this practice.
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Another new-style insurer has a bright idea, as Bright Health shines in raising $80 million to begin selling policies in one state, with hopes of expanding to five.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160406/NEWS/160409913?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20160406-NEWS-160409913&utm_campaign=financedailyHealth Affairs carries an analysis of comparative satisfaction with health systems across developed countries.
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Health care administrative process software vendor Ability Network is buying eHealth Data Solutions, which provides revenue cycle management software for long-term and post-acute care providers.
http://medcitynews.com/2016/04/ability-buys-ehealth/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=af1b5c4ea2-MCN+Daily+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5092836c41-af1b5c4ea2-408793005WellStar, a local hospital chain in Georgia, is buying five Atlanta area hospitals from Tenet for $575 million, a transaction that should be blocked.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160401/NEWS/160409991?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20160401-NEWS-160409991&utm_campaign=amThe CBO's latest report on federal government health insurance-related costs projects a substantial rise in Medicaid spending.
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A brief from PWC finds that hospital mergers aren't producing the claimed benefits and asks why.
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A Kaiser Family Foundation brief examines trends in employer-offered health insurance and uptake.
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Research in the Journal for Healthcare Quality finds that certain factors such clinical conditions responsible for admission are most clearly linked to readmission risk.
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A brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality presents useful information on how to design good physician feedback reports.
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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.