TowersWatson projects that greater use of telemedicine could save employers $6 billion a year. Growth of benefits specifically encouraging telemedicine visits is growing among employers, with 37% saying they plan to offer them in 2015.
Non-profit hospital CEOs and other executives received very high compensation increases on average this year, far outpacing wage growth for ordinary workers.
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.
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.