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.
Apparently many people are still astounded that basic economic principles apply to health care. A study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that ER use increased in Massachusetts after the implementation of reform. If something costs less, people will buy or use more of it. Simple as that.
Kannact, which intends to provide tablet-based apps to facilitate care in the home and monitoring and coordination of that care, has raised $3 million in financing.
According to Mark Farrah Associates, growth in Medicare Prescription Drug Plans slowed for the current year, with a little under one million net new members. Of the roughly 52 million Medicare beneficiaries, about 39 million have Part D coverage either through a stand-alone PDP or Medicare Advantage coverage. UnitedHealth, CVS Caremark and Humana are the largest players.
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.