The leading reason advocates use for demanding universal coverage is that it will improve health and health outcomes for lower socioeconomic groups. New research from Canada indicates that this is…
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A BIO study looks at the success rates for pharmaceutical and biotech candidates over a multi-year period, finding a fairly low rate, which doesn't vary much by type of drug…
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Yet another study has emerged on the factors responsible for apparent variation in costs of treating Medicare patients, this one focused on the high-cost quartile of beneficiaries and finding that…
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A Towers Watson survey describes employee attitudes toward wellness programs and health engagement, with a surprising finding of declines in health as a priority and involvement in programs.
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The year wears on, winter hopefully draws to a close, and our Potpourri provides nutritious sustenance, this week featuring comparative effectiveness research and personalized medicine, two surveys on hospital progress…
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Personal health records are electronic medical records collected or maintained by patients. Health Affairs reports on a survey of physicians regarding their views on these records, finding interest in having…
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One interesting aspect of personalized medicine is the widespread ability of consumers to purchase somewhat inexpensive genome wide scanning for disease risk. New research evaluating the potential benefits or harms…
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Researchers writing in JAMA looked at whether the ownership type of a hospice appeared to be correlated with profit-maximizing behavior under Medicare's per diem payment scheme. They found only weak…
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One of the primary concerns regarding Medicare spending is the significant population bulge in the 45-64 bracket, a group that is beginning to become Medicare eligible. A CDC brief explores…
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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.