Kurbo Health has raised $5.8 million for its mobile products to help children eat healthy and deal with weight issues. Just what children need, another app to sit and look at instead of really being "mobile" and getting some exercise.
http://www.pehub.com/2014/07/kurbo-health-raises-5-8mln-series-a-led-by-signia/A brief Accenture report describes the rapid growth in private health insurance exchanges and the factors behind that growth.
Read More
Studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association look at the evidence behind FDA approval of new drugs and at the reasons for delay or denials of approval.
Read More
A Modern Healthcare survey finds that physician pay in 23 specialties changed little from 2013 to 2014. Only five specialties had increases that exceeded inflation growth, including oncologists and Ob/Gyns. A number of specialists have average compensation exceeding $300,000 and several are over $400,000, with orthopedic surgeons topping out at an average $523,000. Can't feel too sorry for them.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140719/MAGAZINE/307199981&utm_source=AltURL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mpdaily?AllowView=VXQ0UnpwZTVEZldYL1I3TkErT1lBajNja0U4VURlZFVFQk1JQlE9PQ==A brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation looks at out-of-pocket spending by Medicare Beneficiaries, including premiums and service cost-sharing. For some seniors, these numbers are pretty large.
Read More
Symphony Technology Group has completed its acquisition of System C from McKesson. Symphony is a private equity investor and System C is a large vendor of health care software in the UK.
http://www.symphonytg.com/symphony-completes-acquisition-of-system-c-from-mckesson-and-announces-a-new-leadership-team/Research in JAMA finds that for the top 10% of Medicare beneficiaries in annual spending, only a small percent of that cost is due to avoidable ER visits and hospitalizations could be avoided by better outpatient care. Darn, another theory shot down.
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1699911The Government Accounting Office reviews drug spending for DOD, Medicare and Medicaid; finding that Medicaid generally paid the lowest prices, in some cases substantially lower.
Read More
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.