An AHRQ Statistical Brief examines where drug spending went in 2008, finding that spending was concentrated in five therapeutic categories which accounted for about two-thirds of total outlays.
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End-of-life care accounts for a very substantial fraction of all health spending and appears to vary geographically, as does much other spending. Research looked at what may determine end-of-life spending…
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High-deductible plans often have health savings accounts associated with them. New research looks at the effect of HSA-linked plans on utilization and spending, finding significant reductions, but concerns about use…
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A new report looks at the out-of-pocket health spending in the last year of life for Medicare beneficiaries. The spending is not only large but highly variable and undoubtedly puts…
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Hopefully winter nears its end; it has been brutal where we are. This week's Potpourri may offer a little diversion, covering defensive medicine, a pediatric tele-consultation service, home stroke rehabilitation,…
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The latest Dartmouth Atlas work looks at variation in elective surgery rates in the context of patient involvement in decision-making. The report highlights differences in treatment for a number of…
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A new report from the Rand Corporation reviews various proposals for changing payment methods to providers. The researchers categorize payment reforms into 11 models and review appropriate performance measures for…
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The leading reason advocates use for demanding universal coverage is that it will improve health and health outcomes for lower socioeconomic groups. New research from Canada indicates that this is…
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A BIO study looks at the success rates for pharmaceutical and biotech candidates over a multi-year period, finding a fairly low rate, which doesn't vary much by type of drug…
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Yet another study has emerged on the factors responsible for apparent variation in costs of treating Medicare patients, this one focused on the high-cost quartile of beneficiaries and finding that…
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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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