HSAs vs. HRAs: Which is Better?
I had a conference call this week with the commissioners of a county who are considering adopting Health Savings Accounts for their employees. They said their current broker has been…
A Test that Seems to Work
The first MCAT, then referred to as the Scholastic Aptitude Test for Medical Schools, was administered in 1928 and represented an effort to address the significant medical school dropout rates…
Five Steps for Reducing Healthcare Disparities – From HHS
The Department of Health and Human Services has outlined goals, strategies and actions it will take to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. The define a health disparity as…
Health Care Buzz Today
One-Third of Hospital ERs Have Closed in Past 20 Years. From 1990 to 2009, the number of hospital emergency departments in non-rural areas in the US declined by 27%, according…
What do ACO-Minded Providers Want?
Physician Practice interviewed me about what hospitals with an eye on accountable care organizations want. I believe it is all about partnerships and the priorities of hospitals, physicians, long-term care,…
Physician Social Media Networking Expands
Doctor Pundit appears to be taking a step further into the physician social media space. Yes, the blog is already on Twitter. (I continue to resist Facebook, for personal reasons.)…
Does WellPoint Care About Quality…or Reducing Cost?
One large insurer is planning to begin paying hospitals based on quality. “WellPoint is replacing the system it uses to help offset rising medical and other costs at hospitals in…
Why Health Care Costs Are So High. Docs Don’t Know What Things Cost
I often hear from hospitals that they’re being squeezed greatly on cost and not getting paid enough by government and private payers. I have some sympathy for this argument, but…
Promoting Healthcare Innovation Through Challenges
Innovation in healthcare is now pervasive. To continue the wave of innovation, hospitals can now earn new incentives based on competitions. These are government-sponsored, industry-sponsored challenges, and even have the…
The Government’s Diet Advice Is Not Evidence-Based
More recent research has further undermined the cholesterol-as-bad-guy hypothesis. Scientific American summed up the disturbing state of the evidence in April 2010… The magazine cited a meta-analysis — that is,…
