Today's drug trend reports come from Medco and CVS Caremark, two of the largest pharmacy benefit managers. Both experienced relatively low overall trends and both anticipate specialty drug management being…
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Our next set of drug reports deals with specialty drugs, the most expensive and fastest growing category, and one which has bedeviled payers but many of the drugs are covered…
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The first analysis of a weeklong series on recent reports related to aspects of the pharmaceutical industry covers IMS' report giving projections on aspects of global drug use and spending…
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Our current Potpourri features Google's dropping of its PHR, the AMA's report on insurer claims paying, the role of health advocacy groups, employer's intentions in regard to offering health coverage,…
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A Rand report examines how self-insured employers might be affected by the PPACA, finding it unlikely that small employers will significantly shift to self-funding. The report also finds little reason…
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A study finds that using home health care after a hospital admission for Medicare beneficiaries with certain chronic illnesses reduces Medicare Part A spending and readmissions compared to a beneficiary…
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Deloitte issues the results of a global and a United States consumer survey on perceptions of health and health care system. Most Americans have a gloomy outlook, but so do…
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Fireworks galore for the Fourth of July Potpourri, including dynamite excerpts on the effects of parent caregiving on caregivers' financial status; health insurance exchanges; physician compensation; provider performance data gathering…
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The second annual report by the Massachusetts AG on health care spending trends continues to find that provider market power is a major factor and that using a risk-based payment…
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Two articles describe in detail how Britain's NICE operates in creating guidelines and conducting cost-effectiveness reviews. The process is highly transparent and professional, and while the institution has taken criticism…
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AHRQ issued yet another detailed, informative evidence review, this one on use of health information technology for medication management purposes. While many studies exist, the strength of the evidence for…
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PriceWaterhouseCooper discusses opportunities for health care business over the next decade, identifying new segments with growth, as well as challenges that must be overcome.
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Summer waxes but no heat-induced torpor can stop us from producing our Potpourri of health snapshots, including the health care and health care coverage of young adults; malpractice incidence; Massachusetts…
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An AHRQ Statistical Brief looks at changes in employer-based insurance premiums from 2001-2009, finding large increases in premiums and even larger increases in the employees' share of such premiums, particularly…
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Health literacy is the degree to which a patient can understand and use health-related information to help make decisions about his or her care. A report from AHRQ reviews the…
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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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