Excellent Post on Medicare's Cost Pressures

This is really worth reading. Major point is that the Medicare payroll tax covers only 33% of the program's costs.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/14/1005951/-Medicare:-Why-is-it-on-the-table?via=blog_1

Health Insurance Exchanges and Adverse Risk Selection

If employers drop coverage and their high risk employees then seek coverage through their state's HI exchange, adverse selection could be a problem:

http://aishealth.com/archive/nhex0811-02

Kansas Joins Oklahoma and Returns Exchange Money to HHS

First OK returned over $54M and now KS returns $31,5M to HHS. This makes little sense to me:
http://www.businessinsurance.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110810/NEWS03/110819992/1233

Humana ACO Shows Initial Cost Savings

So far so good:

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-269502/Norton-Humana-Commercial-ACO-Notches-Cost-Savings.html

Good Thoughts on How We Reimburse Docs Needs to Change

This is a good review on the disparity in Medicare reimbursement between primary docs and specialists:

http://healthpolicyandmarket.blogspot.com/2011/08/rethinking-value-of-medical-services.html

Sterling Offers New Self-Funding Package

The interesting feature of this package are the rebates the PBM will share w/employers to fund its health incentives program:

http://www.businessinsurance.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110804/NEWS05/110809947/1250

Employees Need Benefit Decision Help

This is just incredible to me. 96% of HR professional recently surveyed said employees need guidance in making benefit decisions. Not surprising. But only 23% of these same professional said that their companies were doing a good job in providing this guidance. Are you kidding me? Isn't this one of their responsibilities?

http://www.businessinsurance.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110804/NEWS05/110809946/1234