A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine examines consumer behavior when covered by a high-deductible health plan.
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CVS is buying Aetna in a widely expected, but hard to understand, deal.
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A Sherlock & Co. analysis finds that premiums for group health benefits are expected to be up 7.2% and for individual plans, up 21%. After design changes, this may decline to 5.6% and 18.2%, respectively. Medical trend is anticipated to be in the 5% range for group business and 12% for the individual one, suggesting healthy profits for insurers.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171113005957/en/Health-Plans-Project-2018-Premiums-Increase-7.2A new analysis from Avalere finds staggering rises in the Silver, or benchmarking, level health plan premiums on the insurance exchanges.
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A report from Mark Farrah Associates looks at mid-year financial performance for health insurers.
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Large benefit consulting firm Mercer says that health benefit cost trend for employers in 2018 will be 4.3%, after benefit changes, with drug costs continuing to disproportionately affect that trend.
https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/mercer-survey-shows-employers-face-increase-in-health-benefit-cost-in-2018.htmlA study in Health Affairs finds that large health plans do negotiate lower prices from providers.
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Paying the newly insured to go to a primary care doctor increases visits.
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Happy eclipse day!! A recent commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine exaggerates the benefits and minimizes the costs of health insurance expansions.
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New research carried in the Journal of Health Economics describes the price elasticity of demand for health care services.
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Recent research suggests that high-deductible plans result in reduced spending over at least a three year time frame.
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A Mark Farrah Associates brief looks at the competitive state of private health insurance markets.
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A Centers for Disease Control survey finds that high-deductible plans may create financial barriers to care for some enrollees. Duh.
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An AHRQ brief examines the effect of the reform law's Medicaid expansion on enrollment in employment-based insurance plans.
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A Brief published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute examines switching of health plans during open enrollments.
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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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