Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that having surgery for a knee meniscus tear has no better outcomes than fake surgery.
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The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission issues its annual report on cost trends, finding that almost a decade after reform was initiated in the state, costs are still high, not well-controlled…
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Under the current Medicare Advantage plan payment methodology, plans receive more for sicker enrollees, but research in the Journal of Health Economics finds no evidence plans are selecting for these…
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Research published in Health Affairs studies a long-running wellness effort at PepsiCo, finding that the disease management component appears to save on health costs but the lifestyle modification portion does…
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A consumer survey from the Altarum Institute gives insight into decision-making and attitudes about health and health care coverage.
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Legendary strategist Michael Porter has fixed his sights on health care and his latest missive in the Harvard Business Review lays out a vision which unfortunately is based on a…
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Medication therapy management has become more common, especially for the elderly. A review from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds little evidence to date that it improves most…
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Medigap insurance is purchased by many Medicare beneficiaries to cover cost-sharing. A new paper confirms that having this insurance leads to higher Medicare spending.
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The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute has released its 2013/14 prescription drug benefit report.
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A study done by KNG Health Consulting for Academy Health finds that the Medicare hospital readmission penalties disproportionately affect hospitals servicing low income patients; the very hospitals that can least…
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CMS' Office of the Actuary has released its health spending summary for 2012, showing very welcome continued low growth.
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A new brief from the Center for Studying Health System Change examines why people with private health insurance use the emergency room.
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A systematic review of hospital inpatient clinic decision support systems in the BMC Medical Informatics & Decision Making finds little evidence that they have a significant impact on health spending.
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Examination of emergency room use by people who newly obtained coverage under Oregon's Medicaid lottery finds a significant increase, usually for non-emergent conditions.
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An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reviews the recent decline in the rate of growth of US health spending and analyzes whether it might persist.
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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.