| From the National Health Council and Wyeth |   |
| Top Story |  |  |
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- Out-of-pocket costs to jump 35% without health reform
Out-of-pocket health care costs could grow by more than 35% by 2019 if reform measures are not passed into law, according to a recent report. The report, commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and conducted by Urban Institute researchers, projected uninsured rates would increase in every state, employer-sponsored coverage would drop and public health program spending would spike. Healthcare Finance News
(10/1)     
| Out-of-Pocket Cost Impact | | |
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| Health Care Costs and Access | | |
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- States concerned about Medicaid with funds expiring next year
States are concerned about financing Medicaid when stimulus funding expires next year, particularly with the increased demand driven by the recession, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. "Many states believe they may be pressured to consider previously unthinkable eligibility and benefit reductions," said the report. Reuters
(9/30)
- Health care employers struggle to find qualified workers
The health care field is among the professions unable to find enough qualified workers despite some 15 million Americans looking for jobs. One Indiana-based hospital recruiter, for example, said he needs nurses, pharmacists and MRI technicians. Economists contend the main problem is a mismatch between available jobs and the number of people qualified to do them. The Miami Herald/The Associated Press (free registration)
(10/4)
| Trends in Health Care Design | | |
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- HHS touts Wash. group as rural health IT success story
A report on the Columbia Basin Health Association's use of information technology was touted by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as evidence that IT can improve health care in rural areas. The Othello, Wash., group was one of the first health centers to switch to an electronic health record system and since then has ranked above the 95th percentile nationally in total medical and dental team productivity. Healthcare IT News
(10/1)
- Retail clinics supplement, not replace family physicians
The growing popularity of convenient, retail-based clinics is a concern for some physicians, who say they should not replace a patient's regular care provider. A New York Times report said the clinics, often staffed with nurse practitioners, recognize they are not replacing the family physician and want to help patients establish a relationship with a primary care provider. NYTimes.com
(10/2)
- Companies pool together to better manage health insurance costs
Employers have found that if they band together to form larger buying groups, they can increase their purchasing power and better manage employees' health care costs. "For many companies, buying groups make it easier and less costly to provide benefits for valuable employees," said an official with the Minnesota Life Insurance Company. Healthcare Finance News
(9/29)
| Policy/Legislative Watch | | |
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- Rural provider shortage could derail health reform goals
Data showed Nebraska, like many rural areas, is facing a serious shortage of health care workers that could make national reforms to increase insurance coverage and access to care a moot point. A new study on the state's health care workers found Nebraska has a lower ratio of care providers to population than the national average, and a number of counties have almost zero medical professionals. NYTimes.com/The Associated Press
(10/2)
- Senate committee eases penalties in health insurance provision
The Senate Finance Committee voted 22 to 1 to adopt an amendment that would reduce the penalty for people who fail to obtain insurance from about $1,900 a year per family to $200 in 2014, and eventually increasing it to $800 in 2017. The committee also expanded the number of people exempted from mandatory insurance to include those who have to pay 8% of their adjusted gross income for the most affordable insurance plan. NYTimes.com
(10/1)
- Senators discuss whether bill would increase taxes
Senators debated last week on whether the health reform bill in the Finance Committee would effectively raise taxes -- something President Barack Obama promised not to do in his election campaign. Nonpartisan congressional analysts say the bill would tap the taxpayer's wallet by requiring people to pay an excise tax if they don't purchase insurance and would make it more difficult for taxpayers under the age of 65 to deduct catastrophic medical costs from their income taxes. The Washington Post
(10/2)
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| About Better Health Care by Design |
As the incidence of chronic diseases and their associated costs continue to rise, many patients are facing increasing out-of-pocket costs for their care. Research has demonstrated that
high out-of-pocket costs present a barrier to much-needed care for many patients with chronic diseases, leading to poorer health outcomes for patients and increased long-term costs
for patients and payers. Better Health Care by Design is an effort focused on improving health and economic outcomes for patients with chronic diseases by bringing together the
diverse range of interested stakeholders — patients, providers and payers — to collaborate on new, practical benefit design models that lead to better prevention, management and
treatment.
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| | Recent Better Health Care by Design issues:
- Wednesday, September 30, 2009
- Wednesday, September 23, 2009
- Wednesday, September 16, 2009
- Wednesday, September 09, 2009
- Wednesday, September 02, 2009
| | | Lead Editor: Kathryn Doherty
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