Use of Technology to Improve Senior Health

Interesting article in the WP(http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/November/17/New-technology.aspx)regarding pilot projects in two senior communities that allow doctors to monitor their patients' health through the use of monitoring devices. The article talks about how this has the potential to reduce re-admissions to hospitals but does not list any specific results. This article follows the results of a Mathematica study that showed that 13 out of the 15 Medicare chronic care monitoring pilot projects failed to show positive results for lower costs and or re-admission rates. Helping seniors monitor their health through the use of technology and or direct nurse involvement should improve their health but so far research has not shown positive results. Until it does, do not look for health insurers to cover this type of treatment.

HSC Report On the Individual Market

The Center for Studying Health System Change has just published a report on the individual market based on interviews with key insurers and regulators in 12 markets including Rochester, Cleveland and Little Rock. The report notes the increasing interest in the individual market by major insurers including Aetna and United Healthcare. It reviews the way specific state regulations influence both the kind of coverage offered and the number of competitors. It also discusses the increasing role of the Internet in marketing individual coverage. There are no surprising facts or discoveries in the report but it is a good summary of the latest developments in the individual marketplace. The report can be viewed at: hscchange.org