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.

Mar 06 2014

A survey from Sullivan Cotter and Associates indicates that the gap between primary care and specialist physician pay has begun to narrow, with an increase of 5.7% for primary care doctors and about 3% for specialists.  But the absolute gap is still huge, with primary care doctors averaging around $200-250,000 while specialists can earn multiples of that.

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/compensation-issues/pay-gap-between-specialists-primary-care-physicians-diminishing.html
Mar 06 2014

A study in the journal Health Services Research finds that measurement and public reporting of hospital surgical site infection ratings provides consumers with little useful information to differentiate between facilities.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6773.12164/abstract
Mar 05 2014

Health Sciences Outcomes has raised $5 million to support its evidence-based, clinical decision-making tools.

http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Health+Outcomes+Sciences+Completes+First+Close+of+Series+A+Preferred+Financing/9248083.html
Mar 05 2014

Fairpay Solutions, which helps with pricing of workers' compensation claims, has been sold by the PE firm which owned it to Mitchell International, which is owned by another PE firm.

http://www.mitchell.com/media-center/press-releases/2014/mitchell-acquire-fairpay-solutions.asp
Mar 05 2014

Clinicient, which makes revenue cycle management and clinical software for outpatient rehabilitation providers, received $15 million in funding.

http://www.clinicient.com/clinicient-receives-funding/
Mar 05 2014

Greenway Medical Technologies, a large EHR vendor, is acquiring PeopleLYNK, which provides services to help providers keep patients engaged and retained.

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/greenway-buy-targets-patient-engagement-47362-1.html?utm_campaign=daily-mar%205%202014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter
Mar 04 2014

According to a survey, 69% of doctors say defensive medicine is a leading cause of excessive health spending, 65% say the aging population is one, 60% blame rising drug costs and 51% say increasing use of technology.  Apparently high provider incomes and charges was not on the list.

http://www.beckersasc.com/asc-turnarounds-ideas-to-improve-performance/physicians-top-10-major-drivers-of-healthcare-costs.html
Mar 04 2014

The FDA is going to re-examine how it regulates over the counter drugs, due to increasing safety concerns and the long passage of time since the rules were promulgated.  Gee, next Congress might even decide to look at supplement regulation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/21/us-usa-drugs-otc-idUSBREA1K1EW20140221
Mar 04 2014

CRO Medpace is being acquired by a European PE firm for about $900 million.

http://www.pehub.com/2014/02/cinven-to-acquire-medpace-in-900-million-deal-reuters/
Mar 04 2014

A study in the CMS research journal finds that use of peer support for mental health treatment in Medicaid programs increased costs significantly with unclear effects on outcomes.

http://www.cms.gov/mmrr/Articles/A2014/MMRR2014_004_01_a04.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=12073904&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_pGvZNXdypqjN-_0h6KHUCnP81joqE47Xsg52tTzDrvqYlPewUoTgZbncvthcLPyUEyOZsKu1QyVCIn0erBGXJbkY5dw&_hsmi=12073904
Mar 03 2014

Voalte has received $36 million to support and expand its health care communication business.

http://www.pehub.com/2014/02/bedford-funding-leads-36-mln-in-series-c-round-in-voalte/
Mar 03 2014

More good news for fans of big-government mandated health benefit rules---the Office of the Actuary at CMS estimates that 65% of small businesses will pay higher health insurance premiums because of the reform law.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304834704579403581288810194?KEYWORDS=medicaid&utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=12038977&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9IDXlhCMs_qEQBd9Xnz6U5YFSSSFLLzJj9mIBpkiwprivZcFlI27vGxrxg5ge7LZi1I3OZ3HdUAuYtQqLsEVJWFoNYPA&_hsmi=12038977