The CMS program to reduce, or at least penalize hospitals for, unnecessary readmissions is in full swing this year. A new study looks at how Medicare Advantage plans do in…
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According to a new report from Thomson Reuters, $36 billion a year could be saved in health care spending if provider prices were more transparent to consumers. There is a…
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Yet another missive for the debate on the sources of variation in health spending, this time from the Center for Studying Health System Change, which looked at autoworker claims across…
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Our latest Potpourri, a week late and we apologize, covers virtual coaching, the integration of drug and medical benefit management, how doctors chose to handle their own end-of-life care, Medicaid…
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President Obama, his administration and Congressional Democrats sold the health "reform" law in large part by claiming it would reduce health insurance premiums for average Americans, by $2000 they said,…
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Geographic variation in health care spending is an ongoing controversial topic primarily because the most significant implication is that many physicians have practice patterns that unnecessarily raise costs and changing…
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This week's Potpourri focuses on the cost of robotic surgery, the benefits of aspirin compared to more expensive drugs, the benefits of fitness club use, what states and specialties are…
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CMS has issued its latest proposal rule on Medicaid drug pricing and rebates. The proposal doesn't clear up all areas of uncertainty and will add administrative costs for manufacturers. It…
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The Massachusetts reform rolls on, with the state's residents generally still okay with the changes, although cost continues to be a problem. An article in Health Affairs sums up the…
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The Government Accountability Office issues a report on use of implantable medical devices in hospitals, finding that they pay widely varying prices, suggesting that it is often too much, some…
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Another Potpourri brimming with doses of useful information that you eagerly await each week, including Medicare special needs plans and patients with diabetes, health information technology venture capital funding and…
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Another excellent paper from the Congressional Budget Office is issued, this one on Medicare's demonstration projects on value-based payments to providers. Once again, the demonstrations had very mixed results, with…
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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 khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.
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