Crazy busy here at the intergalactic HQ of Health Strategy Associates, so I’ve been slacking on my blogging duties…
here’s what came across the virtual desktop of late.
Blockchain!
several articles of note – save them, file them, read them. You WILL have to understand blockchain, and sooner than you might think.
Blockchain and the sharing economy – which will include insurance
What will blockchain mean for jobs? One expert says: “30–60% of jobs could be rendered redundant by the simple fact that people are able to share data securely with a common record.”
JobLock
The sharing economy depends on the ability of entrepreneurs to leave big employers with good healthplans. If ACA is repealed and/or individual insurance markets tighten up, the gig economy is going to get slammed. “Job lock” is real; this from HealthAffairs…
Without the ACA, there will be fewer Howards who start their own businesses, resulting in fewer jobs. That’s why anyone who tells you that the ACA is a “job killer” is flat wrong.
Drugs
Express Scripts’ new work comp drug trend report is out – key highlights are:
- drug spend is down 7.6%
- opioid utilization is down 11.1%
What this means – work comp PBMs and payers’ efforts to reduce opioid over-utilization are paying off, and this is excellent news for patients and employers alike.
HOWEVER, with half of all patients receiving at least one script for opioids, we’ve still a long way to go. No vacations folks, now’s the time to keep a relentless focus on reducing opioid usage – especially for patients who’ve been on these drugs for months.
Truth is, some patients demand specific drugs, and it’s difficult for docs to convince them otherwise. And, it’s notoriously difficult to get physicians to change their habits...they are human after all.
Hawaii’s legislature is considering legislation to limit physician dispensing. Thank goodness the Clifford Yees of the world seem to be sidelined – at least for the moment.
Back tomorrow to a deeper dive into a key issue…
