health policy
Study: Drug, devicemaker ties with academic ctrs common
A new study suggests that academic medical centers have tight relationships with pharmas and medical-device makers, perhaps tighter than previously thought. The study, which was done by researchers... Read more...
Medicaid managed care not equal to commercial plans
Ideally, Medicaid beneficiaries who enroll in a managed care plan would get the same care as anyone in a commercial plan. Unfortunately, however, that's not how it actually works today, according to... Read more...
Surgeon sues over bariatric surgery copyright
A surgeon who invented a form of bariatric surgery known as the "mini-gastric bypass" has sued High Point, NC-based High Point Regional Health System and two affiliated physicians in federal court,... Read more...
Higher co-pays for less useful treatment cuts costs
Consumers may not be thrilled with this approach, which might feel to them as though their freedom has been compromised. Still, it looks as if higher co-pays may steer them away from treatments researchers consider to be less useful. In a paper appearing this week in Health Affairs, Harvard University health policy professor Michael Chernew outlines a strategy by which insurance companies can save money--while improving care--if they raise co-pays for procedures or treatments that …
... Read more...Impact of Democratic gains? Not much
With yesterday's Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the possibility of a Senate win still in the air, what might the impact be on healthcare providers? Not much, at least in the short term, it seems. True, the Democrats have vowed to address the Medicare Part D "donut hole" issue and invest in medical research, including stem cell research. The party also offers a none-too-specific pledge to provide Americans with access to affordable health care. But no one …
... Read more...Doctors still slow to leverage EMRs
Despite all of the publicity--and strong hints from federal agencies--doctors continue to resist using electronic medical records in their practice, according to a study released yesterday. True, one in four doctors use medical records in their practice, and that number should grow steadily over the next year or two, according to researchers with the Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital. However, they found that only one in ten physicians are actually leveraging …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: FT looks at barriers to EMR adoption; FDA plans RFID push; and much more...
> The best of the month's health policy blogging is up at Health Wonk Review. Article
> Technical problems and bureaucratic delays have slowed the drive toward an electronic medical record for everyone in the UK, the Financial Times reports. But the problems have more to do with who will ultimately have ownership of the data. …
... Read more...Harvard Med School announces change
In a change likely to draw notice, Harvard Medical School said it is making adjustments to its curriculum to emphasize patient-centric care. Harvard will extend the first year of classes by two weeks to give med students an introduction to the healthcare system and key issues for patients. Students will be required to take classes on the impact of social and economic conditions on disease, medical ethics and professionalism, and health policy. The medical school also plans to change its …
... Read more...Big techs join forces on pay-for-performance initiative
For a preview of the kind of world which many health policy wonks in Washington want, just take a look in the direction of Silicon Valley. Yesterday, Intel, Cisco and Oracle announced an initiative that will encourage local physicians to adopt electronic health records and other health IT systems. The Silicon Valley Pay-for-Performance Consortium will award $150,000 annually to practices that excel in using technologies like electronic health records, ePrescribing and secure messaging to …
... Read more...Health policy debate moves into focus
Additional information continues to emerge about the health policy changes President Bush is expected to propose in his State of the Union address next week. It is becoming increasingly obvious that healthcare providers will want to pay close attention to the speech. The Los Angeles Times reports that in addition to expanding tax free HSAs, the proposals are likely to include an "expanded system of 'report cards' on doctors and hospitals, stricter enforcement of anti-monopoly laws …
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