New Study: High Cost Medicare Patients Are in Bad Health

Previously high cost Medicare areas were deemed to be high cost because of provider induced demand for care. This study says provider supply has nothing to do w/it:

http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/1185/1185.pdf

Combo Policies: An Alternative to LTC Insurance?

As LTC insurance becomes more and more expensive, More companies are offering riders to their life insurance coverage that will pay for care if the policyholder becomes disabled:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116342486619476.html

Who Is to Blame for Increasing HC Costs?

Providers blame insurers and insurers blame providers. Personally I think providers are more to blame as well as the general public for not taking better care of themselves. This article looks at both sides:

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-262396/High-Healthcare-Costs-Continue-to-Provoke-Finger-Pointing.html

BCBS of MA "Cost Effective" Provider Plan Popular

And the providers who are not "cost effective" such as teaching hospitals are not happy about it:

http://www.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2011/02/10/plans_steer_patients_to_lower_cost_hospitals/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1

VT Governor Proposes Single Payer Plan for State Residents

Perhaps if Vermont pulls this off other states will seriously consider it?

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/February/08/vermont-governor-shumlin-single-payer.aspx

ACOs: Don't Forget the patients

Good article on how ACOs will look like the second coming of HMOs to most consumers. So what needs to be done to prevent this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/health/views/27chen.html?_r=1

Is the CMS Actuary Correct?

This is a good column on Richard Foster's recent testimony on what the ACA will do to health care costs:

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2011/February/020311cohn.aspx