All Posts By

Kevin Roche

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 through Roche Consulting, LLC. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.

Dec 16 2014

According to eHealth Insurance, consumers who are not eligible for subsidies but are shopping on the exchanges during this open enrollment period have selected plans that on average have a 16% higher premium than the average for plans selected last year, although the increase is only 2% higher than plans selected in the same period last year.  Consumers are also choosing plans with lower deductibles.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=201232&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1996441
Dec 16 2014

In the latest evidence that having health insurance does not automatically mean people get more preventive services, much less have better health outcomes, a study in NEJM finds that young adults up to age 26 had significant but relatively minor increases in use of only 2 out of 5 common preventive services, and the study did not have as a variable whether they actually were enrolled in insurance.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1406586?af=R&rss=currentIssue
Dec 15 2014

A study of the VHA's patient portal finds that while 17% of veterans had finalized registration in the portal, a very small percent actually use any of the functionality, other than about 10% using it for getting prescriptions.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20141215/BLOG/312159995&utm_source=link-20141215-BLOG-312159995&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=top
Dec 15 2014

Pervasive Health has persuaded investors to part with $26 million to prop up its platform to collect and manage data in providers.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/12/pervasive-health-raising-26-million-to-democratize-health-analytics-for-hospitals/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f1b857b5d2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-f1b857b5d2-67677117
Dec 15 2014

PE firms are working on a deal to swap the ownership or large hospice and home health provider Curo Health Services for an estimated $700 million.

https://www.pehub.com/2014/12/thomas-h-lee-partners-in-talks-to-acquire-curo-health-reuters/
Dec 12 2014

According to Global Data, worldwide pharmaceutical revenues may decline by $65 billion by 2019 due to the expiration of patents on some blockbuster drugs.
Dec 12 2014

SocialWellth (they are lisped on the NASDAQ) has acquired Happtique.  SocialWellth is digital engagement company and Happtique is an app prescribing tool for physicians.  New name will be HappWellth or SocTique or something like thath.

http://www.socialwellth.com/2014/12/digital-health-enablement-company-socialwellth-acquires-happtique/
Dec 12 2014

I predict that Predilytics will announce that it raised an additional $10 million in capital to support its machine learning and analytics business for providers and payers.  Oh wait, maybe that already happened.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/12/health-startup-predilytics-raising-10m/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=569da80593-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-569da80593-67648197
Dec 11 2014

A few years safety concerns led to more limits on the hours residents worked.  Of course, research published in JAMA shows that those limits haven't led to any better quality or less safety issues.

http://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/doctor-news-206/cutting-physicians-in-training-hours-hasn-t-improved-patient-care-694471.html
Dec 11 2014

MD Aligne called in $1 million for its telemedicine business.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/12/telemedicine-company-md-aligne-raising-1m/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=569da80593-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-569da80593-67648197
Dec 11 2014

Newtopia has garnered a $2 million investment for its business of using genetics to create personalized care plans.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/12/startup-newtopia-two-million-yeah/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=569da80593-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-569da80593-67648197