You have been studying the the teams, getting the snacks, and reading up on “Deflate-gate.” You’re ready to grab a beverage and watch some commercials football. The Super Bowl is almost upon us.
Before you turn on the TV for the game, however, an even more exciting event is upon us: the Health Wonk Review! So get ready for this weeks the best health policy posts on the wonk-o-sphere.
Healthcare cost
Of course, as an economist, I have to start off talking about money and cost.
- Does the ACA increase or decrease you health care costs? InsureBlog‘s Patrick Paule InsureBlog’s Patrick Paule traces the evolution of the ACA from free birth control to expensive penalty.
- Is the cost of Obamacare really 20% less then we thought? Jay Norris of Colorado Health Insurance Insider cites a CBO report saying the answer is ‘yes’.
- Why are Harvard professors protesting their high health insurance cost? Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters say these protest may not be unreasonable.
- What is Minnesota Community Measurement and why does it care about total cost of care? Health Business Blog’s David Williams interviews MNCM’s president Jim Chase to find the answer.
- Do new, expensive Hep C drugs represent a cure? Health Care Renewal’s Roy Poses’ answer may surprise you.
Health Policy Initiatives
Spending money in and of itself is not bad. It the money spent on health care leads to significant health improvement, you are getting good value. Below are two innovative programs that have the potential to both reduce cost and improve quality.
- How have Medicare ACOs performed? How will CMS modify their ACO program in the coming years? Health Affairs has two post covering these topics.
- Should CMS end community-based care transitions program initiatives? Chris Langston of Health AGEnda warns us not to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Safety
How do we reduce medical errors? How do we reduce on-the-job fatalities. Two wonkers tackle these issues.
- Do we need safe harbors for medical malpractice? Brad Flansbaum of Society of Hospital Medicine answer the question and even says that the Consumer Reports’ Choosing Wisely and CMS quality measures initiatives may be working against physicians.
- Why have commercial trucking fatalities risen by 17% since 2009? Julie Ferguson of Workers’ Comp Insider investigates.
Health IT
Information technology can provide a number of benefits to patients, physicians, and payers. But what are the risks? Our HWR panel weighs in.
- Who should be held accountable for risk management and cybersecurity in healthcare institutions? Shahid Shah and Kamal Govindaswamy of the Healthcare IT Guy provide the answer.
- Is more technology always a good thing? Health System Ed‘s Peggy Salvatore says the answer may be ‘no’.
Kindness
Just because I am economist, doesn’t mean that I am cold-hearted. I end this edition of the HWR on a post describing how training physicians to be kind can help improve patient care.
- How do you train a physician to be kind? Robert Folberg of Wing of Zock provides a vision of a new medical school curriculum with kindness in mind.
Jason – got my bowl of chips and guac and six-pack cooler next to the BarcaLounger, ready to dive into your compendium of cogent commentary!
Well done doc!
Wow, SUPER job, Jason (SWIDT?)!
And Thank You for not just including our post, but … We’re #1!!
Happy New Year!!
Spot on with this write-up, I actually feel this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably
be returning to read through more, thanks for the information!