Blue Cross puts the reform hammer down in MassachusettsSo I'm curiousIf all BCBS does is take in per-subscriber premiums and pass along rather less per-subscriber compensation, exactly what value are they adding for their (roughly 30%) cut?Re too many sellers"Having a lot of sellers in this market raises costs, it...
Clalit Health Services, the largest Health Maintenance Organization HMO in Israel, and believed to be the second largest HMO in the world, has learned the value of pulling Business Intelligence BI from its data stores to help the organization provide better care for its 3.8 million members as it supports...
A minimal investment results in a customer-facing site that saves money through wellness and practically pays for itself through advertising. by Dana Blankenhorn
Consumer Driven Health Plans, or CDHPs, increased by 43% from 2007, and now comprise nearly 13% of all plans offered by employers. The%age of employees enrolled in these plans nearly doubled, from six% in 2007 to 11.2% 2008. While preferred provider organizations PPOs continue to dominate the market, representing 54%...
Clalit Health Services serves more than 3.8 million people, and supports 70 million customer interactions per year. Clalit uses the Microsoft Application Platform to support some 16 terabytes of data, including a 2.7-terabyte Business Intelligence BI solution that serves as a repository for clinical and operational information. Clalit's Enterprise BI...
Forecaster Mark Anderson of the Strategic News Service SNS has published his top ten predictions for next year. As a context for his predictions, Mark noted that IT spending outside the U.S. will help bolster companies with the U.S. economic growth slowing: "Most large IT corporations now make more...
Any better excuses?Mehdehhhcahherrre: Turns his head......cough.Turns his head...cough.Doctor says: [i]"You have a bad cough."[/i](Drum roll....ba da beeeshh)Seriously, if I had to base selecting a universal method of insurance on which carrier has had the most efficient system of physician reimbursement, I'd put my money on Medicare, any day.Despite the long-term...
As Israel's largest healthcare provider, with 3.75 million members, Clalit Health Services faces the same business pressures that confront health plans across the globe: rising costs and growing consumer demand to play a greater role in financial and clinical decisions. Clalit recognized that to make the most effective day-to-day decisions,...
opt outdoes that mean a state can decide, whether or not, their citizens can get national health care?"Let the trolling begin in earnest."?I think you meant:"[i]Let those who disagree with me begin posting.[/i]"No......trolling is posting deliberately inflammatory remarks in order to get responses. You've even admitted you're doing that, because...
It's amazingWhen Republicans are in power, Democrats can't get anything done. When Democrats are in power, Democrats can't get anything done. Who's running that show anyway?Carl RapsonRepublicansRepublicans will continue to run Washington until the assumptions underlying their rule change. This is good news.We dont need to overhaul a system that...
Why health reform remains possibleFrank LuntzThis speaks volumeshttp://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009051907/secret-right-wing-strategy-health-care-exposedPDF - http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/frank-luntz-the-language-of-healthcare-20091.pdfWhat socialized healthcare.....Nothing is free, and when you get through socializing the entire US economic system into a Government ran quagmire with Trillions of dollars of debt with an endless array of red tape.Wake me up when this nightmare is over...
Will HIMSS vendors oppose their best customers?It's about money - not your healthThe health insurance industry had the highest median CEO compensation. Over $10 million and that's just the median. Half of those guys made more than that.One would be foolish to believe that those rather happy CEOs...
Evidence-based care and comparative effectiveness, concepts pushed heavily by insurers as a replacement for the HMO horrors of a decade ago, are finally ready to start proving their worth. Many doctors, and more politicians, believe in them. by Dana Blankenhorn
Cox HealthPlans, based in Springfield, Mo., covers approximately 40,000 lives through a variety of products, including HMO and PPO offerings. The market is highly competitive, with both national and local health plans serving the region. The company wanted to replace a legacy core administration system with an advanced system that...
What is behind the Kaiser-IBM deal?Touchdown possibleAs long as the end product accommodates HMO & PPO type programs as well as various government systems, from VA & military families to Medicare and Medicaid. If these basic areas are covered then private insurance companies can be told to comply with...
Where cheaper is not better$2,500 -v- $40,000The cost of an PET/CT or MRI scan was about $2,500 when I had mine and a round of radiation or chemo is going to be at least $40,000. Identifying the efficacy of a treatment early can save some major dollars when the...
Business models at forefront of health care innovationYou're right about the elephantsThere have been too many around DC for too long and what we have gotten does come from the end shown.If you really want to put your mind to health care reform the first thing to do is to...
The Office of Managed Care Ombudsman OMCO helps Connecticut consumers who have health insurance provided by a Managed Care Organization MCO. The office was created to promote and protect the interests of covered persons under MCO health plans in Connecticut. A major responsibility of the office involves educating consumers about...
Tech stimulus: $20b for health care recordsWe already have universal healthcareThat's where the uninsured go to the emergency room (where no one can be turned away, by law) instead of a clinic or doctor. Very expensive resources are used to treat everyday symptoms. They don't pay and the government doesn't...
Insurers place first bid made in health reform gameTaking the easier questions.Sometimes Who shall live? and Who shall die? are policy questions subject to cost benefit analyses. You're right. And some day those decisions may be made by the equivalent of a clemency board for death sentences. ...
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