[…] spreading healthcare costs over a large population doesn’t do anything to lower the actual cost of healthcare, and might be seen as putting a layer of paint on a crumbling wall. I’m not quite as quick to discount this idea, although I agree with Jaan that more needs to be done than simply increase the number of people paying into the health insurance system.
doctors
Audits For Medicare Providers
[…] most doctors are trying to provide the best possible care for their patients and simply get paid for what they do. Medical billing is fraught with complications and headaches. To eliminate mistakes, it seems that making the billing system less complicated would be a better solution than audits. […]
The Real Price Of Brand Name Prescription Meds
[…] If a rep presents a new med to a doctor, mentions that it’s a whiz-bang drug, and brushes the cost off by saying something like “it’s a brand name drug, but the copays on brand names are usually only about 20 bucks more than generics” the fact that the drug actually costs more per month than most car payments will probably not factor into the doctor’s prescribing decisions. […]
Women And Healthcare
[…] If you’re up for a little controversy, PalMD at White Coat Underground has written about conscience clauses that allow medical providers to refuse to to provide care if it conflicts with their personal beliefs. A very good point raised in the article and comments is that the conscience clauses tend to be invoked in matters of reproductive health. […]
Customary Charges Are Not Always Reasonable
[…] Pricing varies from one provider to the next; negotiated reimbursement rates vary within a single health insurance network; patients often don’t know what the price will be until after the fact. And as David Williams pointed out, the prices are often far from reasonable. We can’t do without healthcare, and that’s why unreasonable “reasonable and customary” charges exist.
Hopefully No Need For Offshore Medical Centers
[…] A little government intervention in terms of providing affordable basic healthcare access to all Americans through a tax-funded program is a good idea. But too much government intervention, in the form of a moratorium on private pay healthcare, is a bad idea.
Healthcare IT Not Just About EHRs
[…] Instead of expanding EHRs, they suggest relatively low-tech IT solutions that would provide more bang for the buck. Their ideas include an on-line method of sharing medical records between PCPs and specialists, expanding the use of email between patients and doctors, and enhancing broadband access across rural and low income areas of the country. […]
Your Health Insurance Company Prefers Generics
[…] But even if you have coverage for brand name prescriptions on your policy, asking for a generic will likely save you money. And it will save your health insurance company money. They are well aware of that fact, and apparently employ a lot more tactics than most of of realize to get doctors to prescribe generics and patients to request them. […]
Most Americans Unaware Of PCP Shortage
[…] People whose employers pay the majority of their health insurance premiums are often unaware of just how expensive health insurance really is. People with health insurance are often unaware of how expensive health care really is. And people who aren’t experiencing a PCP shortage in their own lives tend to be unaware of the overall PCP shortage. […]
The Art And Science Of Choosing Providers
[…] Provider quality rankings are a piece of the puzzle for sure, but they’re not the only piece. I do think they will get more popular if health insurance carriers start actively encouraging patients to select from among the highest ranking providers. But there are other factors that go into choosing a provider that can’t be quantified on a spreadsheet or a graph.
Why Just Insuring Everyone Is Not The Answer
[…] just providing health insurance to the uninsured would still leave us with a pretty big mess. We don’t have enough primary care docs, our drugs are too expensive, our hospitals are too focused on turning a profit, we spent more than any other country on our healthcare, and yet our results are mediocre at best. […]
Health Wonk Review
Jason has done a great job with the Health Wonk Review over at the Healthcare Economist. The Colorado Health Insurance Insider article about possible Medicare reform is featured in the HWR this week […]
What The Doctor Ordered
At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we’re big fans of a single-payer national health care system. We know that it would have quite an impact on our careers, but we believe it would be the best way to provide health care for everyone who needs it, without bankrupting people in the process. Turns out that… Read more about What The Doctor Ordered