For at least a couple weeks, many of the 1642 people who subscribe to MCM didn’t receive notices when new posts went up. It looks like we’ve figured out the problem (electronic fingers crossed), so here’s what’s been on the blog while we were in a technical hiatus.
Yesterday I opined that the recent AHIP/PwC report is more right than wrong; the report misses a lot – and much of what it misses is less than favorable to the report’s funders – health insurance companies. But the central point is indeed accurate; without a tough, enforceable universal mandate, you can’t force insurers to take all comers without charging more for higher risks or excluding them altogether.
Last week was devoted to the recent report by the state of Texas’ Research and Evaluation Group’s report on workers comp networks. The initial post generated a good bit of dialogue with the report’s authors wherein they clarified a confusing (at least to me and several large payer clients) statement; the follow up post detailed the issue, adn explored another concern; “the report didn’t note that three of the networks are provided by one company – Coventry, which also administers a network that is likely underpinning much of the ‘non-network’ category.”
The ‘Texas Week’ concluded with a post on the larger issue with the report – the fallout in workers comp “C” suites, and the potential damage to managed care.
Two posts the week before covered the AmComp meeting in NYC, with one lamenting the lack of concern about medical costs among work comp execs and another summarizing a talk by industry veteran John Burton.
Before I got all wrapped up in workers comp, i handicapped the health reform odds, saying “If the Baucus bill comes out of committee with unified Democratic support, that tells a lot. And if Snowe signs on, that’s even more telling…The Democrats are almost all-in on health reform; at the end it will come down to some Dems deciding if they’re better off holding their nose and voting in favor or handing the victory to the GOP.”
So far, looks like those Dems are indeed holding their collective nose.
This was preceded by a confession – I’m one of those nerds that actually reads Health Affairs – the latest issue has a great piece on the primacy of price in health care inflation. I don’t necessarily agree, but the authors make a compelling case.
It appears that the problem started just before the end of September; readers can always check the main page, sort by category, or type in key words to find specific posts.
Thanks for the forbearance, and here’s hoping the gremlins are back in wherever gremlins live..
Oct
14
