…and recommend that CMS pay for them? But with the exception of the commission’s new vice-chairman, Jon Christianson, the commissioners have refused to raise these questions. During the commission’s discussion…
The Oregon Medicaid ED “experiment” and the overuse myth
…free to the program’s enrollees, those enrollees ended up seeking – and receiving – lots of inappropriate care.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/01/02/new-oregon-data-exp… In fact, researchers have determined (with the luxury of hindsight, it…
The Oregon Medicaid ED “experiment” and the overuse myth
…free to the program’s enrollees, those enrollees ended up seeking – and receiving – lots of inappropriate care.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/01/02/new-oregon-data-expanding-medicaid-increases-usage-of-emergency-rooms-undermining-central-rationale-for-obamacare/ In fact, researchers have determined (with the luxury of hindsight, it…
The Lancet Series on ‘America: Equity and Equality in Health’
…salutary determinants of health among low-income Americans. http://www.thelancet.com… *** Comment: An agenda to fight inequality By Bernie Sanders The USA is one of the richest countries in the world, but…
Defending Public Healthcare in Madrid
Interview with Dr. Marciano Sanchez Bayle
…a National Health Program in 2013. Notes: (1) http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/sp00000_.html (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_National_Health_System (3) http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish-travel/general-map-of-spain/default_92.aspx (4) http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Thousands-protest-Spain-s-health-care-austerity-4103126.php (5) http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/thousands-protest-spains-health-care-cuts/story-e6frea7u-1226533310603?from=public_rss (6) http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-spain-health-march-idUSBRE8B809H20121209 (7) http://www.thenation.com/blog/171670/how-strike-back-14n-dispatch-madrid (8) http://www.larioja.com/videos/actualidad/espana/1951507741001-madrileno-hospital-princesa-lucha.html (9) http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/11/13/inenglish/1352818341_939984.html (10) http://www.telecinco.es/informativos/sociedad/Protestas-recortes_en_Sanidad-Sanidad-Asamblea_de_Madrid_2_1519905142.html (11) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse_care_law http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/12/13/defending-public-healthcare-in-madrid/…
Co-Payments Soar for Drugs With High Prices
By GINA KOLATA The New York Times April 14, 2008 Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and…
Wall Street’s Latest Attack on Traditional Medicare
…physician in the exam room usually is. So from a patient point of view, I think it’s a whole new exposure to a whole new level of complexity that’s going…
CMS privatizing traditional Medicare! (er, uh, CMS releases final ACO Rule)
“Pathways to Success,” an Overhaul of Medicare’s ACO Program
…Medicare Shared Savings Program; Accountable Care Organizations Pathways to Success and Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policies for Performance Year 2017 (957 pages): https://www.federalregister.gov… Fact sheet: https://www.cms.gov… Comment: By Don McCanne,…
Universal health care for New York?
…said such a bill would free up entrepreneurs to leave a job and pursue independent careers because they would no longer need to fear losing their employee health coverage. http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2011-06-13-78267.113122-Universal-health-care-for-New-York.html…
The pecuniary distortion of limited networks
NBER Working Paper 23742: Equilibrium Provider Networks: Bargaining and Exclusion in Health Care Markets
…the standard quality distortion arising from market power, there is a “pecuniary” distortion introduced when insurers commit to restricted networks in order to negotiate lower rates. We introduce a new…
Single-Payer or Bust
By providing a single tier of coverage to all, with automatic enrollment, comprehensive benefits, and no cost-sharing, single-payer provides a distinct—and more egalitarian—vision of universality.
…process of implementing the new insurance regime has been complicated and difficult,” Kieke Okma and Luca Crivelli wrote in Health Policy in 2013. They note that following passage of the…
The ‘Public Option’ on Health Care Is a Poison Pill
Some Democratic candidates are pushing it as a free-choice version of Medicare for All. That’s good rhetoric but bad policy.
…insurers’ upcoding, belying their promises of fair competition. And insurance companies have used their political muscle to sustain and increase their competitive advantage over traditional Medicare. The result: The public…