An AonHewitt analysis found that employers' health care costs rose 3.2% in 2015 and will climb by 4.1% in 2016.
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The drug manufacturers trade association does a wonderful job of providing a rationalization for exorbitant pricing of medications, too bad it has no basis in moral or economic reality.
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UnitedHealth has lowered earnings guidance for 2016, citing individual exchange product issues. Here is an early 2016 prognostication; we have seen several hospital companies report deteriorating profitability and we are seeing health plans do that. Prepare for a new burst of health care inflation growth.
http://seekingalpha.com/news/2940646-unitedhealth-group-down-6-percent-on-lowered-guidance?uprof=45&dr=1#email_linkDoctors often respond to patients' requests for services that may be unnecessary, according to research in the American Journal of Managed Care.
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While growing faster than the economy, health care spending has risen at a slightly slower pace so far in the second half of 2015, according to Altarum Institute reports.
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PatientPing has patiently pinged investors for a solid $9.6 million for its network that will allow health care providers to share patient information. Hope investors don’t end up feeling ping-ponged.
Research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that physicians who practice defensive medicine may incur fewer malpractice suits.
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TigerText, which offers a secure messaging service for health care-related uses, has raised $50 million in new investment. What they are going to do with it and how the investors are going to get a return is unclear, at least to me.
http://medcitynews.com/2015/11/tigertext-50m-series-c-round/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=aa6f9ca55a-MCN+Daily+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5092836c41-aa6f9ca55a-408793005&rf=1Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that dementia related costs are the fastest growing among disease categories.
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A survey reflects providers' challenges in caring for Medicare patients with chronic diseases.
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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.