Sorry, Captain there’s no transparency in medical pricing
When it comes to price transparency shortcomings in healthcare, doctors just as puzzled as patients.
Meaningful Use in pediatrics: The fax machine
Secure e-mail that won't send attachments? We should expect more from patient and family portals in 2015.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Pharma gets it, why don’t you? Cheap drugs are un-American!
When Americans talk, pharmaceutical companies listen. And what they’ve heard is that initiatives to contain or regulate medical costs get labeled as “rationing,” a word with very un-American connotations. While politicians wring their hands, pricing strategists at pharma and biotech companies take action by charging high and rising prices for products for life-threatening illnesses. Cancer is Exhibit A, with […]
Why one online billing company’s win is an even bigger victory for healthcare
Back in the good old days patients’ out-of-pocket responsibility for healthcare costs was negligible. Remember the $5 office visit co-pay, just as an example? As a result hospitals and physician offices set their billing and collection systems up to work with health plans and government payers. Consumer billing was an afterthought, bills were hard to […]
Yes, all hospital rankings are different. But you’re missing the bigger issue
I love the latest Health Affairs article showing about disagreement among hospital ratings. In case you missed it here are the key takeaways: Not a single hospital was rated as a high performer by all four rating systems, including Consumer Reports, US News, Leapfrog and HealthGrades Just 10 percent of those rated as a high […]
Pfizer bought Hospira because they want to go old school (like Lipitor old school)
Leading newspapers, including the Wall St. Journal and New York Times, misunderstand the strategy behind Pfizer’s proposed purchase of Hospira. Here’s what the Journal had to say: Pfizer Inc. said Thursday it would buy smaller rival Hospira Inc. in a $16 billion deal that would transform the New York pharmaceutical company into a leading player […]
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A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Whole Foods wants to go Whole Health. How will it look?
Whole Foods founder and CEO John Mackey is nothing if not outspoken. Among other things he called Obama fascist. So it’s interesting that he seems to be maneuvering Whole Foods into the health care space. For a start, he’s inviting Whole Foods employees to a “Total Health Immersion” program that emphasizes weight loss. Next there may be plans in […]
Wake up! High-deductible health plans are the ultimate barriers to healthcare
They used to call high deductible health plans “consumer-directed” plans. That was before people realized there is nothing particularly consumer driven about them. A recent poll –not the first of its kind– shows that people with high deductible plans tend to forego care. In fact they skip both unneeded and needed care. Most people don’t like the […]
The GOP’s latest attempt to weaken Obamacare is a swing and a miss
The Cato Institute’s Michael F. Cannon is a foe of the Affordable Care Act, which means I disagree with him most of the time. But he’s right on the money with his ten-point teardown of the Republican Congress’ first salvo against Obamacare. The bill would redefine a full-time worker as someone who works 40 hours […]
Would you get lower medical bills if health insurance didn’t exist?
Dr. Richard Amerling, president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, writing from New York, had this to say in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal: A patient recently asked, “What would happen if there was no health insurance?” I responded, “The prices for all medical goods and services would immediately plummet.” I would direct his attention […]
Maximize Revenue and Patient Care with Strategic Weight Loss Management
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
Physician ratings edge closer to the mainstream
Doctor ratings and reviews have gotten a bad name, especially from doctors. There are concerns about their validity and usefulness. And while I share these worries I also believe ratings and reviews are important and have the potential to become much more prominent and useful over time. I’m encouraged that some healthcare providers are reversing course […]
Obamacare signups: More than just the exchange numbers
All that hyperbole for nothing! President Obama just announced that 8 million people signed up for coverage on federal and state health insurance exchanges during the initial open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare. That’s higher than originally projected, and much higher than how things looked when the glitch-filled healthcare.gov sputtered out […]
Zohydro ban: Disagreeing with Governor Patrick
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is trying to ban Zohydro ER, a new prescription painkiller, under a state of emergency he’s declared to combat opiate abuse. I agree with the Governor that opiate addiction is a huge problem in Massachusetts (and many other places) but the attempt to ban sales of Zohydro is a bad idea […]
Should step therapy and prior authorization be outlawed?
In ‘Fail first’ fails patients in the Boston Sunday Globe, a patient with depression decries his health plan’s use of “step therapy,” which requires members to try less expensive drugs before switching to pricier products. This is a brave article –the author is going public as a transgender man and as someone who suffers with depression– and I […]
Give Boomer Esiason a break on early birth comments
Retired football star and current radio host Boomer Esiason has opened the floodgates of righteous indignation by suggesting that the Mets second baseman should have encouraged his wife to have a scheduled C-section before opening day. That would have prevented him from missing the first two games of the season when he flew home to be with her. […]