The CMS program to reduce, or at least penalize hospitals for, unnecessary readmissions is in full swing this year. A new study looks at how Medicare Advantage plans do in…
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According to a new report from Thomson Reuters, $36 billion a year could be saved in health care spending if provider prices were more transparent to consumers. There is a…
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Yet another missive for the debate on the sources of variation in health spending, this time from the Center for Studying Health System Change, which looked at autoworker claims across…
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One of the hot new concepts is use of "medical home" physician practices to improve quality and lower costs. A study from Health Affairs suggests that practices having medical home…
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Our latest Potpourri, a week late and we apologize, covers virtual coaching, the integration of drug and medical benefit management, how doctors chose to handle their own end-of-life care, Medicaid…
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End-of-life care discussions got some unwarranted and unwanted attention during the reform law debates, being characterized as "death panels". The discussions are important, however, to ensure consistency with patient preferences…
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One of the concerns around the continued wrangling over the long-term setting of physician compensation for services to Medicare beneficiaries is whether payment, and other aspects of the program, have…
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A survey of high-deductible health plan users finds that care is more likely to be deferred by enrollees in such plans as opposed to traditional ones, particularly low-income persons, but…
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Placebo and nocebo effects are just part of the broader topic of how patient perceptions about their health, illnesses and treatments may affect outcomes. An article in Current Directions in…
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Patient satisfaction surveys and scores are a large component in most pay-for-reporting, pay-for-performance and value-based purchasing programs, on the theory that patient satisfaction is linked to quality. A new study…
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President Obama, his administration and Congressional Democrats sold the health "reform" law in large part by claiming it would reduce health insurance premiums for average Americans, by $2000 they said,…
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Geographic variation in health care spending is an ongoing controversial topic primarily because the most significant implication is that many physicians have practice patterns that unnecessarily raise costs and changing…
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This week's Potpourri focuses on the cost of robotic surgery, the benefits of aspirin compared to more expensive drugs, the benefits of fitness club use, what states and specialties are…
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CMS has issued its latest proposal rule on Medicaid drug pricing and rebates. The proposal doesn't clear up all areas of uncertainty and will add administrative costs for manufacturers. It…
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The Massachusetts reform rolls on, with the state's residents generally still okay with the changes, although cost continues to be a problem. An article in Health Affairs sums up the…
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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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