Omada, which says it is in the business of "digital therapeutics" (I am not laughing) has raised $23 million (now I am) for its software and apps (what else could it be) that will help patients with chronic illnesses achieve better outcomes.
http://www.pehub.com/2014/04/andreessen-horowitz-leads-series-b-round-for-omada-health/The Wall Street Journal has the first of what undoubtedly will be many analyses of what Medicare pays to physicians, finding that a few specialists receive astounding amounts of Medicare payments. About 1% of doctors receive 14% of all payments and a number receive multi-millions a year from the program.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303456104579490043350808268According to an article in the Fiscal Times based on a Morgan Stanley survey of brokers, small group and individual health insurance policies sold outside the insurance exchanges are seeing the largest premium increases in the history of the survey.
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/04/08/Health-Insurance-145-Million-Get-Massive-Increases?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=12439520&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_zHcf0gyDaRDDTD409Tjt7zA3we4Vy0uQjDOZ4qRGbVHxMKdDS_hDBcaZsx3z18N6AbKJhfg7Ofz66G15zDj33Awy2Jw&_hsmi=12439520Westview Capital has recapitalized Xtend Healthcare, a vendor of outsourced revenue cycle solutions for hospitals.
Bjond has raised $3.25 million to fund development of a new care management platform.
http://medcitynews.com/2014/04/3-25m-superharge-legacy-care-management-systems/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=6ec44d9de3-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-6ec44d9de3-67677117After reconsideration, and a relentless lobbying campaign from health plans, CMS is giving Medicare Advantage insurers a .4% reimbursement increase as opposed to the initially proposed 1.9% cut. We are all for MA, but wonder if CMS intended this all along, is just caving in to political pressure or what is going on.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1&pli=1#inbox/1453e13559743346In a complicated transaction that appears to relieve some of the burden of supporting its financially struggling company-based clinic business, Walgreens has sold a majority interest in its TakeCare clinics to private equity firm Water Street, while Water Street was also buying a majority interest in the CHS employer worksite clinic business. Water Street intends to merge the two entities, which will have about 500 clinics.
http://news.walgreens.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5860About 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.