Policy Options to Sustain Medicare for the Future; Hospital Readmissions

This posting covers two reports


1) Kaiser Family Foundation: Policy Options to Sustain Medicare for the Future

http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/8402.pdf

this has many useful options considered, not all of which would I recommend.  Please let me know which options you support.

2) Commonwealth Fund:  University of California, San Francisco Medical Center: Reducing Readmissions Through Heart Failure Care Management

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Case-Studies/2012/Nov/University-of-California-San-Francisco.aspx?omnicid=18

this report shows successful reductions in readmissions. 

A Regional Analysis Of Which Hospitals Got Rewards, Penalties Based On Quality

http://khne.ws/VPpSuu

here is kaiser health news article on which hospitals received bonuses and penalties from Medicare based  on quality performance measures.  Why did all of the Washington D.C. hospitals fare poorly on these measures.?  Is it their patient characteristics? If so, does that raise questions about the measures? 

Rise in health care spending continues to be low

There is quite a bit of press today noting that for the third straight year, health care costs have risen at a fairly slow rate.

here is an abstract of the original article in Health Affairs. It is very hard to reach today due to interest in it. 

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/87.abstract

here is link to full article

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/32/1/87.full


here are some sources of articles published today.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/January/08/health-spending-news.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/us/health-spending-growth-stays-low-for-third-straight-year.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/07/the-2-7-trillion-question-are-health-care-costs-really-dropping/

I wrote last August about this issue.  There was speculation that the slower rise might be related to Obamacare, but no definitive link has been established.  

Here are three previous blogs. 

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2012/08/deceleration-in-health-spending-full.html

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2012/08/obamacare-may-be-causing-slowdown-in.html

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2012/08/obamacare-may-have-reduced-inlfation.html

Raising Medicare Age of Eligibility

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-medicare-qa-20121207,0,5946305.story

this gives a fairly good overview


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gtzIcX1ShjCgocK2J3-AjpqdbOGQ?docId=c39d6b640cbd414589744774ba7b98fd

this is another good article

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3564

this should be a particularly good discussion of the issue

Medicare facts

Jama has some useful facts on Medicare.

see http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1456081 for source

Marylanders strongly support Affordable Care Act, poll shows

http://healthcareforall.com/2012/11/marylanders-strongly-support-affordable-care-act-poll-shows-2

This confirms that most people, particularly those that would most benefit from Obamacare, are not aware of all the law’s benefits. Consistent with other studies. Wish we could do more to educate. Hope that in 2014, we can make folks aware of their benefits both in maryland and other states.

Cheer up, Papa John’s. Obamacare gave you a good deal. Posted by Ezra Klein on November 19, 2012

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/cheer-up-papa-johns-obamacare-gave-you-a-good-deal/2012/11/19/641f3732-327f-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_blog.html


This column makes an excellent case that Obamacare is a good deal for many of the chain restaurants, etc that have been cutting employee hours. There is no good justification for these chains for doing so. They are only using the law as an excuse to cut pay. They are only hurting themselves.

As indicated in other articles, many chains like papa john, McDonald's, Applebee's, etc. have cut hours arguing that Obamacare is too expensive. This article indicates the costs are very small and probably save much in the long term.