MergeWorthRx, which was formed to consolidate certain health care sectors, has acquired AeroCare, which is a leading provider of home respiratory services.
Alphaeon, which helps doctors provide wellness services and products to patients, has acquired exclusive license rights to TouchMD, which offers physicians products to help educate patients.
Someone needs to check the water in Silicon Valley, Thync has received $13 million for its wearable device that senses your mood and can supposedly apply ultrasound or electricity to make you feel calmer or more energetic. I am thyncing that the investors tried it on and it actually works to make you dumber.
In a FAQ release, HHS opines on reference pricing and narrow networks for grandfathered plans, suggesting that in most cases amounts over the reference price don't have to be counted toward the maximum out-of-pocket cost.
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-aca21.html
Oct142014
Lucent Health Solutions, which intends to develop a more "data-driven" administrative service for self-funded health plans, has acquired North American Administrators, a traditional TPA.
http://www.lucent-health.com
Oct142014
Diplomat Pharmacy, which manages specialty medications, has gone public with a $170 million offering.
A survey in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that most hospitals agree that public reporting on performance measures stimulates quality improvement at their hospital, but quality officers and others are less like to agree with this than are CEOs. Those most involved and most knowledgeable seem the least impressed by the value of quality reporting.
Identity management and data security firm Exostar has received a $5 million investment from Merck Ventures as it expands its services for life sciences companies.
Oct102014
TowersWatson says that users of its private health insurance exchange can expect total health spending growth of just 1.8% in 2015, but don't provide adjustments for benefit design changes or differences in the population using exchanges.
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.