[…] Ideally, we should have enough safeguards in place that “never events” truly never happen. But even if we eliminate the worst errors, there are still a lot of medical errors that could be prevented with extra checks and fail-safe systems in place. A trend towards not paying for mistakes could go a long way towards reducing the number of preventable medical errors in our hospitals.
Blog
Outcome Based Incentives For Doctors
[…] In order to truly provide quality care, a doctor is likely going to have to spend more time with sicker patients. This should be reflected in how the doctor is compensated, along with the outcome-based incentives. There are ways to implement an outcome-based incentive system for doctors while at the same time making sure that they aren’t encouraged to avoid the sickest patients.
The Safety Of Planned Home Births
[…] I’d like to see homebirth midwifery legalized and regulated in every state. I’d also like to see it as a covered expense on any health insurance policy that covers maternity. In Colorado, home birth midwifery is legal and regulated, but midwives have to jump through a lot of hoops to get paid on the rare occasions when their clients’ health insurance policies cover home birth expenses. […]
Marketing in Disguise
I almost tossed it. But then I saw the notice across the front of the envelope: “Attention Rural Co-operative Members. You may now qualify for a Hospitalization Policy that helps pay outpatient expenses.” My curiosity was piqued, given the health insurance co-op ideas that have been tossed around this summer […]
Complaint Ratios Updated With 2008 Data
The Colorado Division of Insurance has finished compiling and organizing the data for 2008. Visit the Colorado Health Insurance Company Complaint Ratio Comparison page to see the updated complaint, revenue, and market share statistics from the division of insurance along with the A.M. Best Rating information we’ve added […]
Differing Opinions On Health Care Reform
[…] What makes this story different from most of the other ones out there is that Loralee got to speak with Valerie Jarrett at BlogHer last month, and has written a very detailed post about the experience. Loralee describes herself as a moderate Republican, but is very much in support of health care reform as proposed by the current administration. […]
The Counter Productive Death Panel Concept
[…] There are two sides to the health care debate, and plenty of misconceptions. Genuine access to health care for all Americans is vitally important. But so are the financial implications – both on a personal and national level – of any health care reform bill. To discredit either side flippantly is disingenuous, but so is using terms like “death panel” to incite fear and anger instead of rational discourse.
What Canadians Think Of Their Health Care
Canada’s health care system has become a major talking point for both sides of the American health care reform debate. Proponents of public health insurance point to Canada as a shining example of a country where every citizen has access to health care. But people who want less government involvement in our health care system note that Canadians often face long waits for care. […]
Cooperatives And The Colorado Health Insurance Market
[…] One of the criticisms of the private health insurance industry is that there isn’t much real competition. Proponents of the co-op idea believe that co-ops would increase competition and thus drive down costs. I’m sure that this is the case in some markets, but here in Colorado we have a pretty robust health insurance market, with lots of companies competing with each other. […]
Public And Private Enterprises Can Coexist
[…] There is all sorts of competition and cooperation that already exists between the private and public sector. One way or another, I’m hopeful that we’ll end up with some sort of compromise that results in expanded access to health insurance and health care for more people.
Advance Directives Not The Biggest Issue
[…] It’s unfortunate that this has become such a point of contention in the health care reform debate. Although I do think that it could have been an important benefit for some peope, I also think it has taken the focus off of some of the much more important aspects of health care reform. And that is the unfortunate part.
Prevention Versus Early Detection
Much has been said about the merits of preventive medicine. It’s been a major talking point for politicians on both sides of the aisle throughout the health care reform debate. Whatever reform measures end up being enacted, there is likely to be an enhanced focus on screening tests. […] But does preventive medicine really help? […]
Some Claims Should Be Denied
What if they refused to pay for some of the CT scans being done at a clinic that purchased its own CT scanner and subsequently had a 700% increase in the number of scans ordered? Would the health insurers be held up as the bad guys, for not paying for the scans? I have to imagine they would, even though it’s likely that a good number of those scans were unnecessary. […]
Not Just Health Insurance That Needs Reform
Has anyone else noticed that the the term “health insurance reform” has started to be used in place of the term “health care reform”? Perhaps reform proponents are counting on the poor perception of the health insurance industry held by many Americans. By renaming the reform, perhaps they believe that more people will support it. […]
What Women Want
[…] Glenna’s article sheds light on what most of us (not just women) want when it comes to health care reform. We want something that is well-thought-out, focused on what works best for patients and health care professionals alike, and with a minimum of political grandstanding.
What We Expect Of Insurance
[…] In Colorado, if a person chooses to go without health insurance and ends up with a catastrophic medical bill, bankruptcy will be the likely outcome. Same story for a person who chooses to drive without car insurance and then causes a serious accident, except that the person driving without car insurance will also be facing legal action for making that choice. […]
Physicians, Not Providers
I wonder how many times I’ve used the term “primary care provider” on this site? I try to be as PC as possible, but I never knew that term wasn’t appreciated by the doctors to whom it refers, until I read an article by Dr. Toni Brayer at ACP Internist. It seems the term primary care provider was created by health insurance companies, not doctors. […]
Tax Breaks And Health Insurance Premiums
There is no reason why employees who get health insurance through their employer should get a tax break, while those who purchase individual health insurance don’t. Not only does the employer gets to deduct the premiums as a business expense, but the employees are not taxed on the value of the health insurance either. […]
The Drug Industry Is Dancing
[…] Drug costs have played a major role in driving up health care costs over the years. Many of the health insurance companies we work with in Colorado now require a separate pharmacy deductible to be met before copays kick in for drugs. And then I read articles that describe how psychiatric drugs have become common-place in our society. I think there’s a connection here somewhere…
Anthem Blue Cross And Boulder Chamber Offer New Health Insurance
[…] This is a big step forward for health insurance. Boulder is a great place to start something like this, as residents there do utilize alternative health care a bit more than the average Colorado resident. But over the years, we’ve had inquiries from people all over the state who are looking for a health insurance policy that will allow them to utilize alternative care. […]
Taxes To Pay For Health Care Reform
[…] And “Cadillac health insurance plans” are becoming somewhat rare. Employers are constantly trying to lower company health care costs, which means that HSA qualified plans (nothing Cadillac about those) and other options with fewer bells and whistles are becoming the norm. In the individual health insurance market, the change has been profound too. […]
Responsibility For Patient Health
[…] Would an outcome-based payment system mean that doctors who treat chronically ill patients wouldn’t be reimbursed as well as doctors who treat people who can fully recover from whatever illness they have? Would doctors be less likely to take on chronically ill patients? Yes, we should take responsibility for our own health. But what if we get sick anyway?
Overutilization Of Healthcare
[…] Was my friend’s doctor practicing defensive medicine? Probably. Was she just trained to see problems, and thus spotted one that turned out to be nothing? Whatever happened, it absolutely had an impact on the healthcare costs associated with my friend’s pregnancy and birth. Eight extra ultrasounds and 24 hours of testing and monitoring in the NICU are not cheap. […]
Eighty Eight Thousand Is A Lot Of Money
[…] Colorado is by no means a poor state . But our median household income is more than $30,000 below the cutoff point for the proposed health insurance premium subsidies. That means that a good chunk of the population here – and across the country – would qualify for subsidies under this proposal. It might make people feel good at first, but where is the money coming from? […]
The 82nd Cavalcade Of Risk
[…] Jaan homes in on the notion Bob puts forth that health insurance carriers are responsible for spiraling healthcare costs, and should thus be accountable for keeping those costs in check. I agree with Jaan here – health insurance companies are already highly regulated entities, and don’t have as much say when it comes to costs as the public would like to believe. […]