Noted health economist Uwe Reinhardt, in a JAMA viewpoint, suggests that price transparency is a "disruptive innovation" for health care, particularly when linked to reference pricing. This assumes, however, that patients are more interested in price than in a relationship with a particular doctor, and that consumers have sufficient incentives to care about price.
A viewpoint in JAMA looks at the tension between population health management approaches and individualized health care, suggesting that population health goals should take precedence over individual choices.
Brightree, which provides billing and related services for home health providers, has acquired Strategic AR, which offers collection and similar services.
A perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that application of the Medicare value-based purchasing program to hospitals serving more disadvantages patients punishes them financially, reducing their resources to improve care, which hopefully is an unintended consequence.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1312654
Jan272014
Quest Laboratories is purchasing Solstas, another lab company, for around $570 million, to add to its presence in the Southeast.
7wireventures has invested in Wiser Together, crowd-sourcing platform to help people with medical decisions. Yes, lets all let strangers help us with our health issues.
A report from the American Action Forum suggests that for most young adults paying the penalty is a better economic deal than getting health insurance.
A perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine critiques the application of Medicare value-based purchasing to physicians, pointing out that doctors have not accepted the system or the specific quality measures and participation is likely to be very limited until a better and less expensive system is implemented.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1312287
Jan242014
DocsInk, a startup providing mobile administrative services to medical practices, has raised about $1 million.
A JAMA Viewpoint discusses use of guidelines by physicians, opining that guideline adherence is still spotty, costing the system billions and lowering quality, and recommending methods to improve both guidelines and use of them.
Surgical Information Systems, which does what its name suggests, has acquired AmKai Solutions, which also offers software and data analytics to surgery providers.
Streamline Health, which provides knowledge management systems to health care industry participants, has agreed to acquire Unibase Systems, which offers patient access software.
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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