The British Medical Informations and Decision Making Journal carries research comparing traditional and virtual consulations. Patient satisfaction is equivalent across the two methods and doctors are also accepting of virtual visits.
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No matter how controversial they may be, consumer-directed health plans with their higher cost-sharing continue to spread rapidly. A Rand Corporation brief examines the evidence on the effect of these plans on the cost and use of health care.
IMS has a tremendous amount of information on prescription drug use and their reports are always worth paying attention to. The latest provides their outlook through 2016, finding steady increases in overall global spending, with less on brand names and more on generic.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation summarizes and follows up research on the contribution of hospitals to spending increases and in particular the effects of hospital consolidation. Not good news for hospitals, especially large systems in non-competitive areas.
Deloitte publishes its fifth annual survey of consumers on the performance of the American health system and the effects of health reform. The health reform law isn’t positively viewed, but people seem satisfied with their own care.
Emergency room use tends to be expensive, and may reflect difficulty accessing other sources of primary care. Medicaid recipients are often identified as frequent inappropriate users of emergency rooms, but a new report from the Center for Studying Health System Change attempts to rebut that notion.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission delivers an annual report to Congress on what it views as the pressing issues for the Medicare program. This year’s report touches on several issues, which have relevance for health care in general.
Another excellent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has been released, this one examining the state of health information technology that enables patient-centered care. The report summarizes evidence on the utility of HIT for improving care quality and barriers to its further spread.
The New England Journal of Medicine contains an article on the relative review process and outcomes for the FDA, Health Canada, and the European Medicines Agency, with the surprising finding that the FDA is faster than its corresponding agencies.
One of the biggest issues facing retirees is health care costs, notwithstanding the availability of Medicare for many retirees when they retire and for all eventually. Stress over finances can also have a detrimental effect on retiree health. The Employee Benefits Research Institute issues a periodic survey on retirement-related trends which includes health questions. The data paints a bleak picture of retirement for most Americans. (EBRI Brief) Some of the basic findings are astounding, only 14% of Americans believe they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement. Sixty percent report that the total value of their household’s savings and assets is less than $25,000, meaning they really have nothing to support themselves when they get to retirement. Consequently, it is not surprising that 37% now say they plan to retire after age 65, whereas only 11% said that in 1991.
In regard to health care, only 13 of workers and 24% of current retirees have confidence in their ability to pay medical expenses in retirement, much lower than there confidence in paying for other basic expenses. An even lower number, 9% of workers and 18% of retirees believe they will be able to pay for long-term, or nursing home, care. This uncertainty is a major source of stress, especially for older workers. Compounding these concerns is the finding that a large percent, almost half, of current retirees left the workforce unexpectedly, for health, disability or job loss reasons. These people were probably even more unprepared for retirement and probably have even higher health care expenses. All in all a grim picture, one which will undoubtedly put heavy pressure on policymakers to create some better solutions to prepare Americans to have a comfortable retirement.
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 [email protected].
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