Proponents of health information technology (HIT) often claim that the United States lags behind other developed countries when it comes to the use of electronic medical records (EMRs), physician order entry systems and personal health records in clinics and hospitals. For example, only about 17 percent of doctors and 8 percent to 10 percent of U.S. hospitals use EMRs.
While Congress has been debating health reform, employers have been creating new consumer-driven health care (CDHC) plans. In fact, CDHC plans are the only type of health insurance that has been shown to reliably change patient and doctor behavior in ways that lower costs and improve the quality of care.
Both the House and Senate health reform bills would establish exchanges offering people health insurance policies. Low-income individuals and families who did not have employer-provided health insurance and obtained coverage through an exchange would be eligible for subsidies. In both bills, the subsidies phase out with income, although the specific numbers differ.
Both the House and Senate versions of the health care bill, as well as the Obama administration's "compromise" proposal, offer large subsidies to encourage low- and middle-income individuals and households to purchase health insurance from private insurers through a government-supervised health insurance exchange.
Most proposals for dealing with the problems of pre-existing conditions would completely divorce health insurance premiums from expected health care costs, requiring health plans to enroll individuals regardless of their health status. Yet a policy of trying to force health plans to take enrollees they do not want risks jeopardizing the quality of care they receive.
Concierge medical practices take many forms and go by different names, such as direct practice physicians. They all strive to make medical care more accessible and convenient to patients by rebundling and repricing medical services in ways that are not possible under third-party insurance. The result is innovations that raise quality and improve patient care coordination.
The growth of the Internet, high-speed telecommunications networks and electronic medical records have made it possible for patients to seek care in a variety of clinical settings without losing the continuity of care a primary care provider offers. Health care entrepreneurs using these technologies in retail clinics are making medical care increasingly accessible and convenient, while raising quality and reducing costs.
A proposal to allow 55- to 64-year-olds to buy Medicare coverage is gaining traction in the Senate deliberations on health care reform. What will this mean for Medicare's finances? How much will it cost to buy the coverage? How will this expansion affect the labor force participation of older Americans?
Lack of health insurance is a significant, persistent problem in New Jersey. In 2007, more than 1.3 million residents were uninsured – three-fourths were working-age adults 19 to 64 years old. About 15.6 percent of New Jersey residents are uninsured, which is close to the national average, and the U.S. Census Bureau recently ranked New Jersey 34th among states in the percentage of residents with insurance coverage.
One of the primary goals of health reform is to ensure that all Americans have health insurance. Yet it is generally overlooked that the proportion of Americans without health coverage has been relatively stable over time. According to the Census Bureau, in 2008 the number of individuals in the United States lacking health coverage rose from 45.7 million to 46.3 million. The proportion of uninsured Americans remained virtually unchanged, rising from 15.3 percent to 15.4 percent.
To confront America's health care crisis, we do not need more spending, more regulations or more bureaucracy. We do need to liberate every American, including every doctor and every patient, to use their intelligence, creativity and innovative abilities to make the changes needed to create access to low-cost, high-quality health care.
Health care spending per person varies widely across the country, but greater spending does not appear to produce better quality. A natural inference is that some areas of the country are less efficient in the use of health care resources.
The Massachusetts experiment in health care reform offers many lessons that are applicable to the current debate in Congress. The goals of the Massachusetts plan are similar to proposals supported by Democratic congressional leaders and the Obama administration: universal health insurance coverage through greater access to health insurance.
While the debate over how to address health care costs continues across the nation, a coalition of experts from pro-market think tanks released a statement identifying six policy deal-killers for …
A leading health economist says President Obama delivered a subtle and unpleasant message to the American Medical Association yesterday, implying that doctors are the main problem behind rising healthcare costs. …
Many people assume Medicare will cover most of their health care costs when they retire, and that Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, will cover them if they need nursing home care. However, neither program guarantees a low-cost ride through retirement.
Since their introduction, vaccines have served as a cornerstone of public health in the United States and abroad. Vaccinating large numbers of people, especially children, has proven to be one of the most cost-effective options for enhancing and preserving life.
Congress and President Obama appear intent on pursuing two conflicting goals for public and private health care: reining in rising costs while also increasing spending in order to expand insurance coverage to more people.
A layoff does not have to involve losing your health coverage. Although there is no need to panic, you should not put off taking action. Here are 10 options to consider as soon as possible after getting pink-slipped.
Many of the nearly 46 million uninsured say they are unable to afford health insurance. Advocates of various state regulations claim their proposals would make health coverage more affordable. These regulations include mandates that employers offer their employees health insurance or that individuals obtain health coverage, and requirements that health plans and insurers cover specified benefits or accept anyone who applies for insurance.
Recent health care reform proposals have largely focused on achieving universal coverage through a combination of private-sector mandates, regulation of insurance premiums and expansion of government insurance. Proponents argue that adding more regulations and spreading costs across a wider insurance pool will make coverage more affordable. Reality belies these myths.
How can we control the rising cost of Medicare? Fortunately, there are an enormous number of people who have answers. These include most of the 44 million enrollees, 650,000 doctors and 30,000 facilities participating in Medicare. In fact, almost everyone who has contact with the system can produce examples of waste and inefficiency that could be eliminated
Public officials and health care experts have recently suggested a number of reforms to reduce the cost of individual health insurance. However, most of the proposals fail to address the contribution of mandated benefits to the high cost of insurance in many states.
If you listen only to presidential campaign rhetoric, you might conclude that Barack Obama has proposed bold new changes for our health care system, while John McCain is offering only small improvements. If so, you are in for a surprise. Most health policy analysts believe that Sen. McCain is proposing the most fundamental health care reform.
Sen. Barack Obama has released only sketchy details about his health reform plan. The Commonwealth Fund has produced a very detailed plan, however, which it encourages readers to view as very similar to Obama's. Thus, one can assume the Commonwealth plan details apply where Obama has been vague.