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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The American Hospital Association weighs in on the hospital readmission reduction incentive program with a well-thought out program that identifies the complexities involved in identifying inappropriate readmissions and designing initiatives…
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A Journal of the American Medical Association article, based on work sponsored by AHRQ, reviews the off-label use of atypical antipsychotics, which are usually very expensive and have significant side…
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An EBRI survey reveals current attitudes by Americans regarding the health system, their health care coverage, how they access care and reflects serious concerns by many Americans about whether the…
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The leaves fall but not the quality of our Potpourri, this week covering beneficiaries' use of Medicare Star ratings, quality of care guidelines and older patients, compassionate care, asthma care…
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The effect of telehealth tools on the health spending of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic disease has been controversial, with a number of studies finding no or very limited savings. New…
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End-of-life care is a significant contributor to overall health expenditures. New research in the Journal of the American Medical Association probes the effect of advance directives on end-of-life spending, with…
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Increasingly hospitals are being judged on their "quality" based on process and outcome measures and on their cost. New research examines the characteristics of hospitals which fall in various quartiles…
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A new paper discusses the state of shared decision-making, illuminating progress and barriers to use by patients and providers. This approach results in higher-quality care, because it is consistent with…
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The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute releases its most recent survey on prescription drug benefit design and cost issues. While drug spending growth has moderated, the size of the category means…
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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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