A Viewpoint int he Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that excess ICU bed supply in the US causes overuse and excess spending with no improvement in outcomes.
Cigna also reported results for 2013, with lower earnings than expected and a lower forecast for 2014 than analysts expected. It also said its exchange enrollment is half what it anticipated and will result in a loss.
Aetna reported results for 2013 slightly under analysts expectations, but also revealed that it expects a small loss on its exchange enrollees, due to a worse risk pool than expected.
A study published in Social Science Quarterly links declines in medical service use to recessions, using data from a number of countries. Countries with national health insurance saw less of a usage decline and the US saw the largest decrease among countries studied.
Change Healthcare released information in its Health Care Transparency Index that identifies procedures with the most price variability and therefore the greatest opportunity for savings. These include imaging scans, colonoscopies, ultrasounds, and some office visits.
Apparently a bipartisan deal has been reached to repeal the SGR formula for Medicare payments to physicians, keep the current reimbursement level and add one-half percent each of the next five years and continue to move to value-based reimbursement with base payments flat for the five years after 2018. The cost is $126 billion over ten years.
Aetna has released results from a study of its high-deductible plans, showing that for companies that did a full replacement, over six years they saved $208 per employee per year. The employees in these plans also accessed preventive care more frequently, participated in wellness programs more often and paid more attention to benefit and health information.
The latest wound to the reform law is the CBOs recalculation that the law will result in greater job losses, as many as 2-3 million, than it previously estimated. It also now believes fewer people will get coverage as a result of the law. The bad news about the job losses is that fewer people working means less economic activity and growth and fewer tax revenues.
http://cbo.gov/publication/45010
Feb062014
Noom has now raised a total of about $7 million for development of its wellness apps that aim to be "fun", and because people apparently just like its name.
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.