A lot of information and misinformation has been released lately in regard to the health insurance exchanges, the premiums for policies sold on those exchanges and who will be offering policies.
Evidence from research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine based on adoption in Massachusetts of EHRs suggests no real cost benefit, even when not considering the costs of implementing and using the systems.
The Center for Studying Health System Change issues a brief on the growth of urgent care centers and their impact on utilization and health spending.
Two briefs from the Altarum Institute give information on health spending and health price trends through May of 2013.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluates health in the United States over the last twenty years and compares trends to those in other countries.
Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that an intensive lifestyle intervention for diabetes patients did not change cardiovascular outcomes.
An examination of variation in the costs of specific episodes of care for Medicare beneficiaries finds that health of the population in an area and practice patterns appear to account for much of the difference in spending.
Medication Therapy Management is mandated for certain Medicare beneficiaries, but many more patients may benefit from its focus on prescription drugs as a care management tool
Another ADP survey looks at employers attitudes and actions in regard to wellness programs and activities, which continue to grow despite mixed evidence for efficacy.
A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that use of telemonitoring with pharmacist consultation can help in blood pressure control.
The initial ADP report on health benefit trends among employers covers a four year period and shows general stability in coverage with a moderating rise in costs driven by more cost-shifting to employees.
Rock Health releases a report on funding of “digital health” in the first half of 2013, finding a modest increase.
In a clearly political move the Administration has apparently decided to delay the reform law’s employer mandate until 2015. Which parts of the law will be delayed next?
The Congressional Budget Office released a presentation which examines how competition among plans appears to affect pricing for Medicare’ Part D drug benefit.
The American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations released its analysis of enrollment in consumer-directed health plans, shouwing continued gains.