Everyone is kind of on tiptoes, waiting to see if medical cost growth is going to stay relatively stable as it has for the last few years, or begin to…
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In the past few years the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published several reviews on the evidence for effectiveness of various forms of quality improvement initiatives. Now the…
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One of the things the new reform law does is limit the ability to adjust health insurance premiums on the basis of age. A study from Oliver Wyman examines the…
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A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine looks at the association between various physician characteristics and acquiescence to patient drug requests, finding some interesting correlations.
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An article in Health Affairs summarizes the latest from the Office of the Actuary on national health spending in 2011, demonstrating that while spending growth remained relatively quiescent, it appears…
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How much can you trust research? Not a lot sometimes, as an article in Health Affairs demonstrates, using the issue of salt reduction as an example. It turns out that…
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Many states and local governments have enacted prohibitions on smoking in certain public places, including restaurants and bars. These bans are founded on public health concerns due to inhalation of…
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One of the biggest problems with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' hospital readmissions program is that it likely unfairly and disproportionately hurts hospitals which treat larger numbers of…
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A study published in Health Affairs examined consumers' awareness of preventive care benefits in their high-deductible insurance plans, finding that many were unaware that these services were available without charge.
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A new paper from the National Bureau of Health Economics suggests that not allowing insurers to vary rates based on health status reduces incentives to be healthy, leading to an…
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Our last Potpourri for 2012 is the ultimate in health information, containing not lumps of coal but tasty nuggets of holiday goodies, including transition care from hospital to primary care,…
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Patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, who can keep all the delivery innovations straight! Research summarized in an Annals of Internal Medicine article reviews the state of the evidence on…
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A Kaiser Family Foundation snapshot examines cost-sharing between employers and employees based on data from the KFF 2012 health benefit survey. In general public employees are getting a much better…
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2012 has been another tumultuous year for all of us involved with health care in the United States. The holidays may offer a welcome respite, an opportunity to enjoy friends…
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The latest brief from the National Institute for Health Care Management describes facts about private health insurance, with a focus on what goes into the premiums charged by these companies.…
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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.