CMS' early experience with ACOs continues to be mixed, with quality seeming to improve but limited if any savings.
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Aon Hewitt offers a private insurance exchange to clients and claims that the 18 companies covering 600,000 people who are users are experiencing lower health care spending. The firm says that health costs are projected to grow 3.5% in 2015 for these users, compared to industry-wide estimates of 6.5% to 8% increases. But it appears that the "savings" are due largely to enrollees choosing less-rich benefit designs, which means they were paying more for their health care out-of-pocket.
http://aon.mediaroom.com/2014-09-18-Aon-Hewitt-Shows-Continued-Cost-Savings-for-Companies-and-Individuals-Participating-in-the-Aon-Active-Health-ExchangeLeading Medicare Advantage patient health status assessment firm Matrix Health is being acquired by Providence Service Corporation for $400 million. Providence provides a variety of health and non-health services to governments.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/providence-service-corporation-agrees-to-acquire-matrix-medical-network---the-leading-national-provider-of-in-home-health-assessment-and-care-management-services-275578751.htmlThe Brookings Institution takes a crack at the issue of geographic variation in health spending, finding that on an adjusted, statewide basis, there is likely much less variation than the…
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Chartspan gathered $1 million in new financing for its mobile patient medical record.
http://medcitynews.com/2014/09/chartspan-raises-1m-to-expand-patient-medical-records-app/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=1b752e55ba-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-1b752e55ba-67677117Optimum Medical Management has been acquired by PracticeMax. Optimum is a vendor of billing and practice management services in Nebraska and PracticeMax provides similar services nationally.
http://www.sandlotsolutions.com/news-releases/2014/09/08/sandlot-solutions-raises-233-million-funding-led-lemhi-venturesThe second installment of a review of the Kaiser summary of employer-based health plans focuses on who is offering benefits, wellness and other trends.
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RightCare, whose software helps identify patient needs at time of hospital admission and development of discharge plans, has gotten $4 million more in capital.
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/business/horsham-s-rightcare-gets-additional-capital-investment/article_3130f984-b0c8-52d9-ae50-05b2b4738690.htmlPrivia Health has secured an unbelievable $400 million in new financing for its business of providing practice and population health management tools to providers.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140916/NEWS/309169943?AllowView=VDl3UXk1T3dDL0tCbkJiYkY0M3hlMHFvaVVVZER1VT0=&utm_source=link-20140916-NEWS-309169943&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=top#The annual Kaiser survey of employer health plans is out, with loads of details on coverage, benefit design and other trends.
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The National Academy of Social Insurance releases its 17th annual report on workers' compensation, covering data through 2012, and confirming the ongoing growth in medical costs for this coverage.
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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.
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