The cost of whole genome sequencing is coming down, but cost, reproducibility, translation and process issues make its routine use for clinical practice unlikely without further refinement and knowledge growth.
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The 2015 Medicare Advantage and Part D Advance Notice and draft Call Letter provide some interesting insights into CMS' views on various topics, as well as reimbursements for those program…
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The annual Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute Specialty Drug Benefit Report highlights trends in this growing category of drugs.
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A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine on treatment options for prostate cancer illustrates the perils of evidence-based medicine.
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The latest survey from the National Business Group on Health and Towers Watson gives further insight on the employer mindset as reform unfolds.
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An article in the Medicare & Medicaid Research Review examines correlates of state-level per capita health spending, finding that income, capacity and share of the elderly are important factors.
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One of the first rigorous studies of the medical home concept, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, finds little effect on quality or cost.
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A report from eHealth finds that health insurance on the exchange is costing people substantially more than it did before the implementation of reform.
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Once more into the breach of why there is variability in the cost of care, this time with a report from the National Institute for Health Care Reform, which finds…
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The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality releases a report on how to best communicate and disseminate information for patients and providers on treatment options.
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A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research takes an interesting look at the effect of cost-sharing on utilization of health services.
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Health Affairs published yet another piece of research showing wide variation in hospital pricing, probably related to market power and little relation between high prices and high quality.
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A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests, somewhat contrary to common belief, that overall public health improves during an economic downturn.
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A Brookings Institution paper examines the effect of the health reform law on various income groups, with the surprising finding that middle income people get a pretty good whack from…
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A study published in the American Journal of Managed Care looks at rates of self-referral to specialists.
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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.