Seeking a political cure for rising health costs
Expensive health insurance is a given in Switzerland, and there are concerns that the latest proposals to help rein in costs could prove to be a cure worse than the disease. Voters will have the final word on whether a single fund is preferable to the choice they have now.
Health insurance is compulsory under Swiss law, and there are currently about 60 companies providing it. In 2014 or 2015 the initiative for public health insurance will be put to a nationwide vote, which if accepted will see current providers of basic cover replaced by a single public fund.
The initiative - supported by the centre-left Social Democrats and by the Greens as well as by patient and consumer organisations – would leave only supplemental insurance in the hands of private companies.
The initiative - supported by the centre-left Social Democrats and by the Greens as well as by patient and consumer organisations – would leave only supplemental insurance in the hands of private companies.
Critics: Maine health deal hurts patients
Yesterday at 10:22 PMA state agency will soon decide whether letting Anthem and MaineHealth be Obamacare partners is a good idea.
By Jessica Hall jhall@pressherald.com
Staff Writer
Auburn resident Brenda Weeks uses a power wheelchair and has four to six doctor's appointments each month to manage her multiple sclerosis. Now a proposed health insurance deal may force the 54-year-old to switch physicians or buy a new policy.Staff Writer
Her doctors at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston would not be part of a health insurance network proposed by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurer, and MaineHealth, the state's largest network of hospitals and care providers.
A hearing will be held Friday by Maine's Bureau of Insurance on the proposed partnership between Anthem and MaineHealth. The pact includes 32 of the 38 hospitals in the state, but excludes the three hospitals owned by Central Maine HealthCare in Lewiston, along with Parkview Adventist in Brunswick, York Hospital in York and Mercy Hospital in Portland.
Some doctors are upset that they would be excluded from the plan, and some patients fear that they would no longer be able to go to the doctors and hospitals they now use. The proposal appears to run counter to President Obama's pledge that people will be able to keep their doctors and their health plans.
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Dems to Kathleen Sebelius: Seniors confused on Obamacare
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| Congressional Democrats told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday that Americans are still very confused about the health care law — including older people who worry that Obamacare will change their Medicare. Sebelius went to the Hill for another update with Democrats on Obamacare rollout. HHS this week overhauled its website, focusing more on the exchange enrollment, which starts Oct. 1. Joining Sebelius after the meeting, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi praised HHS’s work so far. “The implementation of this is fabulous,” Pelosi said. “As we observe the Fourth of July, our founders talked about the Declaration of Independence guaranteeing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — that is what this is all about.” Lawmakers reported that constituents still need help understanding the changes to health care. “There are seniors, someone mentioned, who are coming to town hall meetings and wondering what do they have to do differently,” Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) said after the session. “And they don’t; they are going to be fine.” Navigators Will Play Key Role As Marketplace Launch Nears
By Frank Diamond, for the Philadelphia Inquirer
Barbara Bloomfield had it all figured out. When she retired from her job at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, she would get into solar energy.
"But then I suddenly got arthritic knees, and I had to go for physical therapy and I thought about all the people who didn't have health care," said Bloomfield, 70, of Chestnut Hill, Pa. "So I decided to get involved in supporting the Affordable Care Act just before it came up for a vote in Congress."
She also volunteered with the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, helping those with no health coverage navigate the Byzantine world of insurance.
Navigate is the key word.
Under the act, insurance exchanges will start open enrollment on Oct. 1, essentially through websites and call centers that the uninsured and others can use to buy coverage. The actual plans will start Jan. 1. Most people will need to be insured next year or pay a penalty. Tax credits may help individuals who are up to 400 percent of the poverty line. For some, it will be the first time they have health insurance.
Test-Driving The Obamacare SoftwareAll the outreach in the world won't count for much if the Obamacare ticket counter doesn't work.Behind the campaign to educate the uninsured about the Affordable Care Act is the assumption that software to sell the plans will be ready and user-friendly by Oct. 1, when enrollment is supposed to start. That assumptionisn't universally shared. Some wonder if systems will be tested and finished on time. Others worry the programs will lead consumers to make dumb insurance choices. Kaiser Health News got an early look at the exchange software that will be used in Minnesota, Maryland and the District of Columbia. A company called Connectureis developing the Web interface for consumers under 65 who don't have employer-based health coverage to shop and sign up for a plan in those states. Connecture isn't handling the software that qualifies you to buy under the health act or verifies your eligibility for subsidies. Other companies are taking care of those. Connecture's piece is the point-of-sale program, the one that steers you through insurance choices and closes the deal. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/27/196193863/test-driving-the-obamacare-software?ft=1&f=1001
Executive summary
Healthcare organizations, hurt by a squeeze on reimbursements and what might best be described as a recession “hangover,” have spent the past few years adapting to more modest growth rates. The industry will continue those efforts in 2014, including pushing care to locations and personnel that cost less. The tepid economic recovery continues to impact the health sector. The slowdown—and even decline—in personal wealth has tamped down demand for healthcare. As we reported a year ago, the sluggish recovery has created a “new normal” in healthcare spending patterns. Individual consumers, bearing more financial responsibility for their medical bills, are questioning and sometimes delaying procedures, imaging, and elective services. New delivery models, such as accountable care organizations (ACOs) are promising, but their prospects for significant savings remain largely unproven. The ACA will also play a role in the slowdown in 2014, with hospitals working to hold down expensive readmissions (or face the law’s penalties) and employers being given greater power to influence employee behavior through increased or discounted premiums—up to 50% in some cases. http://www.pwc.com/en_US/us/health-industries/behind-the-numbers/assets/medical-cost-trend-behind-the-numbers-2014.pdf |
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