An Institute of Medicine report finds Medicare’s geographic reimbursement adjustment formulas to be seriously flawed and suggests general principles to guide a reworking. The conclusions and follow-up reports are sure to spark substantial controversy.
Responding to a challenge for each medical specialty to find methods for reducing inappropriate care and spending in that specialty, two oncologists identify a number of steps that could easily be adopted and are supported by research findings.
Another round of health tidbits, including the association between primary care workforce and Medicare outcomes, comparisons of Type 2 diabetes drugs, effects of limiting DTC drug advertising, health information exchange sustainability, the effect of the Irish workplace smoking ban and barriers to diffusion of cost-effective care.
The Pew Research Center’s latest survey regarding people’s use of the internet and social media for health purposes reveals continued growth. A large number of Americans view the internet as both a source of information and a place to track their own health and share their own experiences.
The latest paper on geographic variation in Medicare spending uses a different design and statistical tool to demonstrate that higher spending on health care is associated with better health in this population, which upends the traditional analysis and should lead to more careful policymaking.
Great Britain’s electronic health records project is severely off schedule and off budget. The problems of that project, however, are not necessarily likely to be replicated in America’s push to get more IT in health care.
Our Memorial Day Potpourri, celebrating health information such as the growth of high-deductible plans, physician starting salaries, benefit design for high-cost conditions, why emergency room physicians order tests, the use of telehealth for heart failure patients and sources of physician pay.
As noted in yesterday’s post, the Trustees of the Medicare Hospital and Supplementary Funds recognized the inadequacy of the official projections of Medicare’s financial condition, and therefore had an alternative, and bleaker, scenario prepared.
The Medicare Trustees have released the 2011 report on the status of the Medicare funds, indicating that they will be exhausted sooner than anticipated, due both to the recession and higher spending.
An index that tracks medical spending shows that while per capita spending continues to rise, the rate of growth has slowed, particularly for Medicare. Hospital spending continues to be the fastest growing category.
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].
© 2024 Healthy Skeptic.
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
PocketCasts
Radio Public
Stitcher
Anchor
RSS - Posts