The Government Can Be Innovative

HHS has put together a really nice site:
http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html

The Booz Way of Controlling Healthcare Costs

Here's a good overview of the upcoming challenges with regards to healthcare. Booz also provides several recommendations to control costs for the overall system.

http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00085?pg=0

Send Your Coughing Co-Worker Downstairs

An interesting article from Fortune on how employers are starting to build on-site clinics at the office.

It makes sense.

I also foresee an uptrend in employer sponsored fitness centers and gyms.

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/02/do-it-yourself-health-care-in-corporate-america/

Venting Through Social Media

It's been a really long time since I've posted on here. Here's an interesting article I found on the human aspect of day-to-day physician patient interaction. More specifically on the use of social media to vent frustration.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/07/11/prl20711.htm

Price Shopping for Healthcare

The race is on for the best free cost comparison website. There are quite a few challenges for these sites:

1. How does the site generate a source of revenue to keep it operating?
2. How will it compare services that are along the same grain of detail?
3. How will it simplify procedural terms so that they are understandable and not "medical speak"?

There are quite a few challenges to get a fully functional site operating that's of value to the consumer. However, if such a site exists, will people use it? Will it present a value to the consumer who may only care about out-of-pocket costs. Perhaps, quality and cost share estimates can be luring enough for consumers to start major adoption.

Here are a few players in the game:

pricedoc.com

mymedicalcosts.com

healthcarebluebook.com

How Much is Your Doctor Getting From Big Pharma?

Here's a link to a website which lists doctors across the country who receive over $100,000 in payments from pharmaceutical companies. This is one step toward greater transparency and allowing the patient to make better informed decisions about his/her care.

I'm not saying the doctors on this list are incentivized to push certain drugs over another. I am saying that making this information available to the public is very useful for the patient.

http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/top_earners

Would You Subsidize Your Coworker's Health Insurance?

Let me pose a question to you to help you think about your own personal beliefs regarding healthcare reform:

You see your coworkers smoking cigarettes, deliberately making unhealthy choices for lunch and avoiding the stairs to take the elevator. You on the other hand, make healthy choices and invest heavily in sweat equity at the gym.

• Should you pay the same insurance premiums as your unhealthy coworkers?
  
• What incentives are needed to change your coworkers behavior?
  
• Or vice-versa, should there be monetary consequences for intentionally living an unhealthy lifestyle?