May 12, 2014
High-deductible health plans appeared after legislation was passed in 2003 that required persons opening a health savings account to enroll in a high-deductible plan. They gained prominence recently as employers watched their own healthcare spending skyrocket.
And in 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that healthcare spending had grown at a record low pace from 2009 to 2011.
However, in this new HSA environment, practices need to think more like a business.
April 11, 2014
Hans Duvefelt explains the strange world he lives in: He can freeze some warts in less than a minute and send a bill to a patient’s commercial insurance for way more money than if he spent fifteen minutes changing someone’s blood pressure medication.
Why’s this the case? For one, he’s a victim of red tape i.e. governmental market manipulation.
March 28, 2014
Affected by reduced payments, hospitals in Pennsylvania cut 3,900 jobs from February 2013 to February 2014. Oh and more layoffs and budget cuts are expected, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.
March 26, 2014
Doctors groups are worried that their members won’t get paid because of an unusual 90-day grace period for government-subsidized health plans. Now they’re urging physicians to check patients’ insurance status before every visit.
September 9, 2013
Here’s a huge announcement from the National Commission on Physician Payment Reform. They recently issued a report outlining 12 sweeping recommendations designed to rein in rampant health spending and improve our nation’s quality of care.
How will they accomplish this? By fundamentally restructuring the way doctors are paid.
July 31, 2013
Workforce.com published an article responding to critics who say that a subscription model doesn’t make sense for direct care. Naysayers suppose that patients stand to waste money if they don’t use the service, much like an unused gym membership. But physician and health care consultant Dr. Zubin Damania, who is working with online retailer Zappos (they’re considering offering a direct primary care clinic to Las Vegas-based employees), had this to say: “Would you use car insurance to get your oil changed or tires changed? I see primary care the same way.” Hmmm, sounds like an analogy we’ve been promoting for a while now.