Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Here’s where things sit today. What we know: Italy is getting hammered, especially the northern regions. The death rate is over 7%, healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, and there aren’t enough ventilators and oxygen to go around. The number of reported … Continue reading Covid-19 update
Read More...Healthcare is the central issue in the 2020 election. If Republicans are able to keep healthcare out of the conversation, they win. If Democrats make healthcare THE issue, they win – with one big caveat. Insurers and hospitals are making … Continue reading The Healthcare Election
Read More...What I missed when I was busy working last week… Workers’ comp HomeCareConnect launched a new service last week intended to smooth the transition for patients moving from acute care facilities to a skilled rehab facility. HCC folks have credentialed … Continue reading Quick hits – new services, good news, and why your health insurance costs are stupid expensive
Read More...Middle class voters can’t afford healthcare. Total health insurance cost for the average family with employer-sponsored coverage is over $22,000 annually. Even families that have coverage are being crushed by costs not covered by insurance. lawsuits keep the “Debt and … Continue reading Three reasons we’ll have major healthcare reform by 2025
Read More...Work comp medical expenses total around $30 billion. Total US medical expenses amount to $3.6 TRILLION. Clearly work comp is a minuscule part of the healthcare world; less than one percent. This matters because health care providers – doctors, therapists, … Continue reading A reminder – work comp is a tiny part of medical care
Read More...in which I attempt to summarize recent research into workers’ comp and medical management and describe what it means for you. Thanks to Elaine Goodman of WorkCompCentral, we learned this morning that folks who consumed marijuana during recovery from an … Continue reading Research Roundup
Read More...We have a healthplan you’ll absolutely love. Covers EVERYTHING – glasses, hearing aids, nursing home care, doctor visits, hospital care, surgery, drugs – all FREE! It’s the about-to-be-announced BernieCare 2.0, aka the “Whole Enchilada Plan”. You can go to any … Continue reading On the one hand…
Read More...I don’t see how BernieCare makes it to the serious consideration stage – much less becomes reality. Not because it isn’t a way better healthcare answer than the mess we have today. It just isn’t do-able. When we do finally … Continue reading BernieCare – No; Single Payer 2.0 – Yes.
Read More...Yesterday’s post covered why work comp is a soft target for “revenue maximizers” – particularly facilities. Today we’ll talk solutions. First, on a macro level, states need to develop and use fee schedules based on Medicare. For inpatient that’s MS-DRGs … Continue reading The soft target that is work comp, part 2 – Solutions
Read More...Costs for hospital-based care – driven by large price increases – are increasing faster than any other medical service. This from HealthAffairs: in the period 2007–14 hospital prices grew substantially faster than physician prices. For inpatient care, hospital prices grew … Continue reading Facility costs are the problem. Here’s why.
Read More...