According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, health spending rose at an annualized rate of 5.7% in the fourth quarter of 2014, a clear warning sign, and the sharpest uptick in many years.. Since medical price inflation has been relatively muted, most of the increase must be attributable to greater utilization.
Although no providers delivered adequate rates of patient education, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are more likely than doctors to provide patients with educational material on their diseases and health care, according to a study in Prevention of Chronic Diseases.
An analysis reported in the American Journal of Managed Care suggests that a patient-centered medical home can reduce reduce utilization and spending for the highest-risk, and therefore highest-cost, patients. Almost all the reductions occurred through fewer inpatient hospital admissions.
Altegra, which provides a range of administrative and care management solutions to payers, has acquired Outcomes Health Information Solutions, which provides analytic services.
Sherpaa, which plans to offer employers consultations with providers by phone and text for their employees, has raised $500,000 from Tumblr's founder and is working on finding additional capital.
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.