Headlines – Page 349 – Healthy Skeptic

Jun 05 2013

ha

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

Hospital acquisitions by national chains tend to improve the acquired hospitals’ performance more than do acquisitions by other types of hospital owners, according to a Deloitte report.

Jun 05 2013

ev

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A study by cancer guideline firm eviti suggests that much money spent on cancer treatment does not follow evidence-based care guidelines and is likely wasted.

Jun 05 2013

pa

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

More patients are being seen by non-physicians, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, especially for routine visits. Patients appear to be very accepting of the trend, according to recent studies.

Jun 05 2013

qm

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

Constellation Software, a Canadian company, has acquired long-suffering QuadraMed, in a transaction expected to broaden Constellation’s reach in health care and in the US.

May 30 2013

pp

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A study of patient involvement in decision-making suggests that for patients admitted to a hospital, 70% preferred to leave decision-making to their doctors and that costs were a about $865 per stay more for patients who wanted to be actively involved in treatment decisions. At least in some settings, patient participation in decision-making may increase resource use and spending.

May 30 2013

ER

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that requiring insurers to keep dependent children on til age 26 has increased ER use and added significantly to costs for that use.

May 30 2013

hihr

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A Milliman study suggests that individual insurance premiums will rise significantly as a result of the reform law in states that have allowed flexible underwriting but will not rise as dramatically in states that already restrict rating practices, largely because rates are already very high in those states. So the reform law will make everyone pay high premiums, increasing incentives to just pay the penalty.

May 28 2013

ip

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

The FDA is seeking to know why a maker of an iPhone app to make diagnostic assessments of urine has not sought regulatory approval.

May 28 2013

hi

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

Premiums for insurance sold on California’s health insurance exchange appear to be lower than expected, although many consumers will still see increases, in some cases substantial ones.

May 28 2013

hr

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A New York Times article reports that many employers are beginning to cut back on benefits in their health plans to avoid the looming “cadillac plan” tax in the health reform law. Consumers, as usual, are the losers.