Monday, January 12, 2015

Improved Management of Chronic Illness; Health Care Inflation

1) Managing Chronic Illness: Physician Practices Increased the Use of Care Management and Medical Home Processes

This is very encouraging. If I read the summary right, this is the first positive news re Pay for Performance, Medical Homes, etc and some of the other innovations being explored. 

2) Health Premiums Rise More Slowly, but Workers Shoulder More of Cost
Commonwealth Fund says: The good news: Health insurance premiums are rising more slowly than they were pre-ACA. The bad news: Workers are shouldering more of the costs of coverage and care.

3) No, the ACA Isn’t Forcing Firms to Cut Workers’ Hours


parttime-2015-01-09

4) Giving Patients Control of Their EHR Data

5) Steve Brill "America's Bitter Pill"

Just watched Steven Brill on 60 minutes Sunday evening.  In the interview, he was very critical of the ACA as having done nothing about health costs.  As has been pointed out previously, health care inflation is at its lowest point since 1960.  It is not certain that the ACA has made a difference because inflation has been relatively low for several years.  However, I know there are provisions in the law that have the potential to lower costs.  Hospital readmissions are down significantly and that is very highly probable because provisions in the law pushed readmissions down.  I have listed a number of other provisions that are likely reducing costs in previous posts.

I have not read the book but from what I have heard, I have other concerns with his book.  I liked his Time magazine article as that focused more on the drug industry's high costs for medicines.  That is a different ballgame.  There I would be more in agreement.

Nevertheless, his criticism of the industry may lead to more efforts to address costs which could be a good thing.

6) Maryland Health Connection - Real-Life Stories (Grace)

7) GOPAs Health Law Becomes More Entrenched, GOP Divided Over Strategy Health-Law Suit Hints at G.O.P. Divide

8)  Medicaid

MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT CASE COULD SET PRECEDENCE FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES
Supreme Court Battle Brewing Over Medicaid Fees

 ‪#‎Medicaid‬ expansion boosts kids' incomes and government tax revenue http://bit.ly/1KCHqFq? via Vox

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