Cavalcade of Risk is up
Van Mayhall makes his debut with an collection of risk-related post in the “Meet the Experts” edition of the Cavalcade of Risk.
Month: October 2011
Health Insurance Snapshot for 2009
There are approximately 265 million individuals in the United States under age 65 in 2009. Using the 2010 March Current Population Survey (CPS) data, the employee benefits research institute provides the insurance coverage breakdowns. Employer-sponsored group plan: 156.1 million (59.0 percent) Insurance bought directly from insurer on individual market: 16.7 million (6.3 percent) Medicaid: 44.1…
Health Reform’s Basic Health Plan
What is the Basic Health Plan (BHP)? Stan Dorn of the Urban Institute explains: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers states the option to implement the Basic Health Program (BHP). BHP gives states 95 percent of what the federal government would have spent on tax credits and subsidies for out-of-pocket costs for…
Health Exchanges
The California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) notes that States face a number of challenges when determining how to design their Health Exchanges mandated by health reform. Today, I briefly highlight some of the requirements State Exchanges must fulfill.
Is your personal health data secure?
In 2010, providers alone spent more than $88.6 billion on health IT initiatives in response to the US government’s “meaningful use” incentive program to drive widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). Is this data secure? For many individuals, the answer is no. In just the last year and a half, a breach of personal…
Health Wonk Review
The Health Affairs Blog posts an unadorned, hard-boiled edition of the Health Wonk Review.
Thursday Links
Why Don’t People and Institutions Do What They Know They Should? Is the government subsidizing drug abuse? A GOP-palatable alternative to ObamaCare? When getting cancer isn’t a death sentence. Does health insurance for the poor improve health?
Do doctors tailor the care they provide based on the patient’s health plan?
Many studies (including my own) have shown that physicians paid via capitation perform fewer services than those paid via fee-for-service (FFS). In the current health care world, however, most physicians treat patients from a variety of different insurance systems (notable exceptions are doctors working at Kaiser and the VA). Two important research questions come to…
Grand Rounds – Wisconsin Sports Edition
This is a great time to be the Healthcare Economist. Not only am I hosting Grand Rounds for the first time, but Wisconsin sports are enjoying a renaissance. The Milwaukee Brewers are in the NLCS, the Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champs and undefeated, and the Wisconsin Badgers also have not lost. How does…
Nobel Prize in Economics
Two months ago I was standing in Stockholm’s Stadshuset (City Hall). Soon, Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims will be there as well. The pair, however, will be accepting the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics. Although I am not a macroeconomist myself, Marginal Revolution has a good description of the pair. Thomas Sargent. Christopher Sims. My…