February 2011

New Study Finds Healthcare Reform Will Benefit Colorado Economy

by Louise February 28, 2011

The New America Foundation (NAF) and the University of Denver’s Center for Colorado’s Economic Future recently published a new study in conjunction with The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation. The study was designed to look at the projected economic outcomes for the state of Colorado with and without health care reform. For the reform scenario, the researchers concentrated on the recommendations created by the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission (208 Commission) a few years ago. They compared that data with the projected outcomes if we do nothing and simply maintain the current system with regards to health care. [...]

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Interesting Data Regarding Pay For Performance Studies

by Louise February 22, 2011

[...] There has been much debate recently about what is the most efficient and cost-effective method of reimbursing doctors and hospitals. While most providers now are paid on a fee-for-service model, there’s concern that such a model tends to encourage over-utilization. ACOs might pose a possible solution, although their designers would be wise to ponder the data regarding pay-for-performance, since much of the success of ACOs could hinge on providers’ ability to “perform” in terms of keeping their patients healthy and avoiding costly hospitalizations.

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SB 168 Introduced With Goal Of Creating Colorado Health Care Cooperative

by Louise February 18, 2011

In a continuation of the string of healthcare-related legislation we’ve seen recently, Colorado Senate Bill 168 was introduced earlier this week. SB 168 would create a nonprofit healthcare cooperative to act as the benefits administrator and payer for health care services in Colorado. Similar to several other healthcare bills we’ve seen over the years, this one would implement change in a multi-step process: first by creating a proposed Colorado Health Care Authority, which would design the cooperative and take it to the legislature and then voters for approval. [...]

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Student Health Insurance And The PPACA

by Louise February 10, 2011

[...] Today, HHS has proposed additional regulations specifically aimed at student health insurance policies, in order to make sure that those plans meet the guidelines created in the PPACA. In essence, it would define student health plans as “individual health insurance coverage” and would eventually obligate student health plans to meet the same requirements as any other individual policy. [...]

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Repealing The Mandate – Some Simple Math

by Louise February 9, 2011

[...] As I’ve mentioned before, health care costs are what drive health insurance premiums. And until we figure out how to reduce the amount we spend on health care, health insurance premiums will continue to rise. But they will rise even faster if we require health insurance carriers to accept all applicants without imposing some sort of system that eliminates the possibility for people to wait until they are sick to purchase coverage.

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When The Media Recommends Over-Consumption Of Healthcare

by Louise February 3, 2011

[...] We seem to be caught up in a wave of screening test excitement lately, with new advanced testing available for every disease under the sun. Rather than focusing on things that can truly prevent health problems (the old, and decidedly low-tech diet and exercise ideas…), we are fixated on developing newer and better screening tests. This exacerbates the problem of over-consumption of health care and rising health care costs.

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EHR Transition Process Not A Simple One

by Louise February 2, 2011

[...] But like any big project, nobody said this will be an easy transition. The government has created an incentive program to help providers with the financial aspect of transitioning from paper records to EHR, but of course there are hoops to jump through. It’s not as simple as just setting up the first EHR system you come across and then getting money from the government to help pay for it. In order to qualify for the incentive program, EHR systems must meet meaningful use criteria as laid out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last year. [...]

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Smart Medicine

by Louise February 1, 2011

[...] We cannot continue to tackle the health care mess by focusing on health insurance reform. That has been a large part of the focus of debate over the last couple years, mainly because health insurance is the point at which most people interact with the financial aspects of their health care. But health care costs are what drive health insurance premiums, and there’s no getting around that. It’s refreshing to hear the President of the Colorado Medical Society talking about the need for evidence-based medicine and a general scaling back of what we spend on health care. [...]

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