When money starts getting attached to calculations, the nitty-gritty of how the data for the calculations is collected and how the calculation is defined become very important. An article in…
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The Employee Benefit Research Institute provides a quick look at two interesting topics. The new reform law requires that employer health plans provide coverage for adult children up to the…
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Our latest Potpourri reveals details about causes of workplace injuries, the effect of raising the Medicare eligibility age, benefit levels in existing health policies, false claims prosecutions and off-label drug…
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The official report on national health spending for 2010 has been finalized by the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The increase over 2009…
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Research in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that Medicare Advantage health plans use offering of certain non-required benefits, like fitness club memberships, to attract and retain healthier beneficiaries,…
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A new report from Magellan subsidiary iCore provides information on trends in specialty drugs covered under a plan's medical benefit, indicating that these compounds' use and cost continues to rise…
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A report from the Urban Institute projects what savings might be available from greater use of intensive care management for persons with serious, multiple chronic diseases.
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Welcome to 2012, when you can once again expect a series of high-quality Potpourris from our immense data bank! Our initial foray includes the Independence at Home CMS demo, discharge…
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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality examines the supposed mechanisms by which public reporting of provider performance on quality measures will improve outcomes and details the evidence which supports…
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We appear to be in the midst of a hiatus in rapid health spending growth and health price inflation, a view reinforced by two recent reports from the Altarum Institute.…
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A draft evidence report from AHRQ looks at end-of-life and hospice care. End-of-life care is often fingered as one of the causes of increasing health spending. The report finds moderate…
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Our final commentary of 2011 reflects on developments in health care for the year. Notably, support for the health reform law continues to be weak and health care cost growth…
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One reason given for the need for the reform law was the growth in health insurance costs, although it is yet unclear whether the law reduces or increases those costs…
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Another one of the concepts being counted on to help improve health care quality and lower costs in the wake of reform is the "medical home." An AHRQ draft review…
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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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