We would all like to believe that spending more on health care means we would have better outcomes and healthier people. Most research on the topic to date has suggested…
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Can all the public reporting on provider quality and cost performance actually be used by consumers to make good choices for their health care services? That is the question explored…
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A new study published in Health Affairs looks at one of the claimed benefits for broader use of health information technology, that it will reduce redundant test ordering, and finds…
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Years after it was initially predicted to do so, medical care based on individual genetic findings is becoming more pervasive. A new report from UnitedHealth Group examines trends and impacts…
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With the advent of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services hospital readmission penalty program, hospitals are scrambling to try to identify potential readmissions and manage them. A new Agency…
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Specialty drug costs are growing very rapidly and in a few years may constitute half of all pharmaceutical spending. A new report from the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute highlights trends…
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Another outstanding collection of summaries from the health research literature, including this week, physicians' difficulty in understanding the benefits of screening tests, physicians' feelings about health information technology, AARP's latest…
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One of the causes of rapid health spending growth is the aging of our population. A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality reviews the literature on…
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A report from the International Federation of Health Plans compares prices for some common services and drugs across several developed countries. In all categories, physician services, hospital care and drugs,…
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Wellness programs are popular among employers and payers because of a perception that they can reduce health care spending, at least in the long run. A new study published in…
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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.