by Kevin Roche on Monday, March 1, 2010
Two more studies suggest that provider price increases, particularly those of hospitals, are the cause for overall spending rises and notes that there is little competitive check on providers’ ability to raise prices. When are policy-makers going to start paying attention?
Tags: Health Care Costs, Health Care Reform, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, November 5, 2009
The General Accounting Office gives its perspective on the viability of the per capita method of physician resource use profiling by Medicare and provides useful insight into the topic of variable physician practice patterns.
Tags: Health Care Costs, Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Monday, October 19, 2009
A study reported in Circulation indicates that California teaching hospitals that utilize more resources in treating heart failure had lower rates of mortality. The study results call into question the methods and findings of some Dartmouth Atlas research. Another report looks at supply and variation in MRI usage.
Tags: Care Management, Health Care Costs, Hospital, Medical Care, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Congressional Budget Office has provided a revised estimate for savings from malpractice reform, showing greater and significant reductions both in total health spending and the federal deficit.
Tags: Malpractice, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, October 13, 2009
One way to address our health system challenges may be to change who delivers much of our medical care, creating less reliance on physicians, and to redesign how providers interact with patients and are paid for care.
Tags: Medical Care, Physician Practice Models, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Friday, October 9, 2009
The American College of Physicians presents its reform ideas.
Tags: Government, Health Care Reform, Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Friday, September 18, 2009
A WSJ articles reports on Maryland’s experience with hospital price controls.
Tags: Hospital, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, September 17, 2009
Rand Corporation has published a study comparing use of retail clinics with emergency room and primary care physician visits.
Tags: Medical Care, Providers, Retail Clinics
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Los Angeles Times reports on a possible return of house calls.
Tags: Care Management, Medical Care, Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Monday, September 14, 2009
Geographic variation in health spending is hot, but the reasons for it are still murky.
Tags: Health Care Costs, Health Care Reform, Medical Care, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, September 10, 2009
A survey of physicians reveals useful observations.
Tags: Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Integrated Healthcare Association has released its latest report on California’s physician pay for performance system.
Tags: Pay For Performance, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, September 3, 2009
Group Health in Washington State has released a study evaluating its medical home pilot.
Tags: Medical Homes, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Monday, August 17, 2009
An article examines barriers to physician participation in medical research.
Tags: Medical Care, Medical Research, Pharmaceutical, Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Friday, August 14, 2009
One relatively unexplored method for reducing health spending is lowering providers’ input costs. A New York Times article examines one category of hospital costs.
Tags: Health Care Costs, Hospital, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Insurers have been under sharp attack for causing many of the problems reform is designed to address. One response has been to shift the responsibility for these problems to other components of the health system; in this case physicians’ fees.
Tags: Health Care Costs, Health Insurance, Physicians, Providers
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, August 6, 2009
Patients are responsible for an increasing share of their medical expenses, which has increased provider bad debt and collection expense. In response, providers are asking to be paid at the time of service.
Tags: Consumers, HIT, Patients, Providers