MedAssets, a large group purchasing organization, has acquired SG2 for $142 million. SG2 provides consulting and related services to health systems. This year has seen several expansions by GPOs into new lines of business as their core purchasing services have slowed.
According to Aetna and Cigna, a significant portion of the enrollees front the exchanges have dropped coverage since enrolling. In Aetna's case, it has lost a quarter of its 700,000 enrollees.
A Deloitte Center for Health Solutions analysis of filings to date for individual policies sold on the insurance exchanges finds that 2015 rates will rise an average of 8.2% to a monthly mean of $385. Very affordable and such a modest increase when wages are rising at about 1% to 2%.
The FDA is issuing two guidances of interest to lab test makers, one that finalizes guidance on companion diagnostics used with certain drug treatments and one that announces FDA's intent to more comprehensively regulate "home-brew" or laboratory-developed tests, which previously had little to no scrutiny of their accuracy and reliability.
A letter to JAMA discusses a study regarding the public's use of online doctor rating sites, finding that 65% of respondents were aware of online rating sites and 19% found them very important in selecting a doctor and 40% somewhat important.
Research in Health Services Research finds that Medicare Advantage plans controlled by provider systems have higher premiums, but also higher quality scores.
An article in JAMA finds that most uninsured adults eligible for the Medicaid expansion are healthier than the current Medicaid enrollees, but a significant cohort have uncontrolled chronic disease that may require significant medical services.
A survey of health care-associated infections published in the NEJM finds that about 650,000 patients contracted these during 2011 in acute care hospitals. That is a lot.
The Choosing Wisely initiative is an effort by the physician community to identify services that should be avoided due to lack of benefit considering the cost. A critique in JAMA suggests improvements to the method and rationale for selecting services.
A study in NEJM found that adverse events for patients hospitalized with heart attacks or heart failure declined from 2005 to 2011 but not those for patients with pneumonia or needing surgery.
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.
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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