The latest Towers Watson survey of employer intentions regarding health benefits indicates that significant changes may occur in the next two to three years, but the biggest danger may be…
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Research reported in Health Affairs examines the Mayo Clinic's experience after increasing cost-sharing for its employees. Reductions in the use of many discretionary services seem to have been sustained over…
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A significant trend affecting all of health care in the last decade is consumerism, specifically the effort to engage consumers in managing their health and health care and to make…
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Winter nears but our Potpourri will distract you from the cold breezes, providing compelling nuggets on prostate screening recommendations, consumer use of technology for health, insurer medical cost trends, what…
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The world's aflame with reporting on provider quality and cost performance. Making sure the information is complete, accurate and credible is no simple task, as a recent Agency for Healthcare…
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From the Commonwealth Fund comes another in a series of reports bemoaning the woeful inadequacy of the American health system, especially compared to those in other developed countries. Whatever our…
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Specialty drugs have gotten the attention of all payers, with multiple efforts underway to manage the exploding costs associated with this category. A new paper from URAC summarizes the issues…
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Hospital readmissions are targeted as a quality metric and a reimbursement adjustment. The program used by CMS in particular appears flawed, and a recent study examining readmission-risk models supports that…
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Another brilliant Potpourri, with scintillating health care gems, including revising the FDA's 510(k) process, the essential benefits package for health exchanges, the future of Medicare Advantage, the lack of labor…
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As Medicaid enrollment continues to grow, and will likely surge in 2014, states are looking for ways to control costs. Pharmacy spending has been an area of focus and a…
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Medicare/Medicaid dual eligibles are relatively poor, elderly or disabled persons who have very high health spending. A report from America's Health Insurance Plans discusses how care coordination programs can achieve…
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An Urban Institute report looks at the seemingly unsolvable problem of US health care spending growth, identifying four key potential causes and several solutions which might in total reduce spending…
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The Kaiser Foundation takes a look at the competitiveness of individual and small group health insurance markets on a state-by-state basis, finding that most are relatively concentrated. The report also…
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Another Potpourri, with tidbits on the Medicare Star program results for 2012, pain management, blood pressure management, Massachusetts' physicians' views on work and health care, online error reporting and the…
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The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions releases the latest edition of its annual survey of consumers on health issues and health care use. Americans are anxious about the financial effects…
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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.