Supposedly the reform act will be fully implemented next January and millions of Americans will be getting health insurance for the first time. A brief from CMS discusses who the…
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The latest salvo in the hospital pricing war is found in the American Journal of Managed Care, which reveals significant above general inflation increases in the costs of hospital services.
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The most recent issue of Health Affairs focuses on health and wellness. One of the programs reported found that in a health system's employee population, hospitalizations were reduced but not…
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iCore, a unit of Magellan, presents its third Medical Pharmacy & Oncology Trend Report, which indicates that specialty pharmacy costs continue to grow very rapidly, despite increased management attention from…
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When the reform law was being sold to a dubious public, we were told that premiums would actually be lower. That is obviously not going to be the case, but…
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An article in Health Affairs discusses an alternative to patient engagement on health care decisions--using the findings of behavioral economics and pyschology to encourage patients to adopt a desired path…
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The latest Towers Watson/National Business Group on Health survey of employers reveals information regarding strategies relating to the implementation of the health reform law. Much of what companies say they…
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Adding to the controversy about Medicare Advantage payments, a Government Accounting Office report suggests that diagnoses coding excesses may be inflating payments.
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Several studies in Health Affairs focus on consumer decision-making in health care and how to "improve" that decision-making, which often seems to mean how to get the patient to agree…
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The 2012 Express Scripts Drug Trend Report indicates that spending for traditional medications has actually fallen, while costs for specialty drugs continue to soar. More of the same is likely…
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Physicians have battled for decades to keep other types of licensed providers from having an expanded scope of practice. With the advent of health reform and concerns about access and…
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Medicaid costs are driving states crazy and although the federal government is picking up most of the expansion spending, states continue to be at budgetary risk and are exploring methods…
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New methods for delivering care in a more convenient method continue to evolve, including use of online visits. A study in Health Affairs reports on results of one health plan's…
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently released its initial cut at Medicare Advantage payment rates for 2014, indicating a likely low to mid-single digit decrease in reimbursement for…
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Consumer engagement in health is one of the themes of the current issue of Health Affairs. Two of the articles summarize findings regarding the effects of more engaged consumers on…
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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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