A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research explores who really pays for public employee health spending.
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Cigna also reported results for 2013, with lower earnings than expected and a lower forecast for 2014 than analysts expected. It also said its exchange enrollment is half what it anticipated and will result in a loss.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304680904579368424145140590?KEYWORDS=health+insurance&utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=11876118&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Jk4g4vxeLxXaoj-WE1rbkCbSV09nFI1CuQ6Wf7O1BsZT_UXxggQOjBCG7kOz1kv6VelOFBecBRGnPD7tHFQ999J53YA&_hsmi=11876118Aetna reported results for 2013 slightly under analysts expectations, but also revealed that it expects a small loss on its exchange enrollees, due to a worse risk pool than expected.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303496804579366420589219070?KEYWORDS=health+law&utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=11876118&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8y_gh5sAFMuiAPnxMR7ERFX8xkQPEDuc4Sot_KIFTCIftRgIS9VspnWcDUxjvTVH2Ds8kxZxFla9hvHFWWjehTluJiuA&_hsmi=11876118A study published in Social Science Quarterly links declines in medical service use to recessions, using data from a number of countries. Countries with national health insurance saw less of a usage decline and the US saw the largest decrease among countries studied.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12076/abstract;jsessionid=428B8571FA68F77A91FB4A6E1C4DC7E1.f03t02Change Healthcare released information in its Health Care Transparency Index that identifies procedures with the most price variability and therefore the greatest opportunity for savings. These include imaging scans, colonoscopies, ultrasounds, and some office visits.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/change-healthcare-analysis-identifies-eight-high-cost-high-frequency-and-highly-variable-services-that-offer-the-greatest-opportunity-to-save-on-healthcare-243695341.htmlApparently a bipartisan deal has been reached to repeal the SGR formula for Medicare payments to physicians, keep the current reimbursement level and add one-half percent each of the next five years and continue to move to value-based reimbursement with base payments flat for the five years after 2018. The cost is $126 billion over ten years.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140206/NEWS/302069944?AllowView=VDl3UXk1TzdDdktCbkJiYkY0M3hlMEdwaVVVZER1ST0=&utm_source=link-20140206-NEWS-302069944&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mpdaily&utm_name=topAetna has released results from a study of its high-deductible plans, showing that for companies that did a full replacement, over six years they saved $208 per employee per year. The employees in these plans also accessed preventive care more frequently, participated in wellness programs more often and paid more attention to benefit and health information.
http://newshub.aetna.com/press-release/products-and-services/aetna-healthfund-study-results-highlight-more-decade-helping-empA brief analysis from PriceWaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute suggests that premiums on the public health insurance exchanges are lower than those for comparable employer-based coverage.
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The latest wound to the reform law is the CBOs recalculation that the law will result in greater job losses, as many as 2-3 million, than it previously estimated. It also now believes fewer people will get coverage as a result of the law. The bad news about the job losses is that fewer people working means less economic activity and growth and fewer tax revenues.
http://cbo.gov/publication/45010Gould & Lamb, which provides Medicare secondary payer services to workers' comp plans, has been sold by Abry Partners to ExamWorks, a publicly traded company which offers medical exams and other services to the disability, workers' comp and other markets. Examworks also announced the acquisition of several smaller providers of exam services.
http://online.wsj.com/article/HUG1758932.htmlA recent America's Health Insurance Plans paper describes a number of innovative programs for medication therapy management.
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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.