A Commonwealth Fund blog post suggests that increasing the differential between younger and older adults' premiums under the reform law would end up costing the government more in higher subsidies, but gives no alternative solution for the very unfair situation of charging relatively healthy young people excessive premiums to pay for older adults health care.
A study in Health Affairs finds, shockingly, that long-term care hospitals time discharges to maximize reimbursement. Just amazing that a provider would follow an incentive to get the highest payment.
According to JAMA research, patients think a doctor who delivers an optimistic message is more compassionate and would prefer him or her to one delivering a pessimistic message, suggesting that the content of a message unduly affects a patient's perspective of the physician delivering it. Another item to add to patient education.
Medicare requires a three-day hospital stay to get coverage for subsequent skilled nursing care, which seems silly, and research published in Health Affairs shows no difference in number of admissions or length of stay at hospitals and skilled nursing facilities between Medicare Advantage plans that enforce the rule and those that waive it.
A SullivanCotter survey finds that primary care physician compensation increased 3.4% in 2015 and specialty physician compensation by 2.3%, with urgent care and psychiatry seeing the largest increases and anesthesiology, radiology and neurology the lowest. Orthopedic surgeons had the highest compensation.
Everything is coming up roses for Clover Health, lucky as can be with a $100 million fundraising for its "data-driven health plan" model for Medicare members. We will see how lucky the investors are feeling in a couple of years.
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.
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.