Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Hot Medical News

Hot Medical News


Health Care Spending Grew At Record Slow Pace

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 12:35 PM PST

Health spending averaged about $8,900 a person in 2012, according to the annual report issued Monday by the government (Pear, 1/6). Kaiser Health News : Capsules: Detailed Report Delivers Good News On Health Costs, But Will It Last? Definitive 2012 numbers show continued, historically low increases in medical prices and the use of medical services. Health spending rose 3.7 percent, up slightly from 2011 but far below the 8 percent increases of the early 2000s, according to figures released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Hancock, 1/6). NPR : Health Care Costs Grew More Slowly Than The Economy In 2012 Health care spending grew at a record slow pace for the fourth straight year in 2012, according to a new government report.
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2014/January/07/marketplace-CMS-report-health-costs-up-but-slow.aspx

Good News For Health Care: Medical Connectivity To Grow Over 800 Percent In 7 Years

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 12:24 AM PST

(contributor_data.name)!?html

However, these systems may not increase quality of care, because errors introduced to EHRs can be difficult to correct, according to medical informatics expert and physician Scot Silverstein . Nor do they save money. Last year, scholars from the RAND think tank published an article regretting a prediction from 2005, that rapid adoption of health IT would save $81 billion annually. The savings have not been achieved, and the scholars anticipate that significant changes in reimbursement (that is, paying for value not volume) will have to take place before providers take full advantage of health IT. Even worse, there is some evidenc e that EHRs make it easier for physicians to order superfluous tests, thereby raising health costs. Further, the government-driven implementation is hitting roadblocks. Stages 2 and 3 of meaningful use include more challenging targets than stage 1 (for which providers are currently being paid).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/01/03/good-news-for-health-care-medical-connectivity-to-grow-over-800-percent-in-7-years/

No comments:

Post a Comment