Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
A June 2005 CMS Office of the Actuary report estimated there would be a total of 36.8 million enrolled in Part D in fiscal year 2006. Thus HHS Sec. Leavitt’s stated goal of 28-30 million enrolled in Part D by … Continue reading Part D enrollment will fall short
Read More...There’s so much spin in the press about Bush’s approach to health care the facts are pretty much ignored. So, as a public service, I’ve winnowed through the partisan, the strident, the pedantic and the ideology-driven cacophony surrounding Bush’s State … Continue reading Responses to Bush health care initiatives
Read More...One of the emerging issues in workers comp is the dispensing of drugs by physicians on a grand scale. Clients (big WC payers) are seeing over half of their drug costs in California coming from doc-dispensed drugs. While that sounds … Continue reading Docs as drug dealers
Read More...I recently had the opportunity to meet Dr. Alain Enthoven of Stanford University at his offices in California. One of the topics about which we have corresponded is the relatively new “consumer directed health plans” or CDHPs. Faithful readers will … Continue reading Enthoven on CDHPs
Read More...Pres. Bush is said to be shifting his domestic agenda to one featuring health care reform at the top of the priority list. According to California HealthLine’s synopsis of an article in the Wall Street Journal, “Bush likely will propose … Continue reading Bush’s focus on health care reform
Read More...Dale Wolf CEO and President of Coventry, gave a 20+ minute overview of the company’s results for 2005 and plans for 2006 at an investor conference last week in San Francisco. The entire call can be heard until mid April … Continue reading Coventry’s (health, Medicaid) results and plans
Read More...Aetna has officially named Pat Scullion to head up the Aetna Workers Compensation Access subsidiary. Scullion was formerly in a financial role at AWCA; he replaces Robyn Walsh who retired five months ago. Scullion’s background is financial; he does have … Continue reading Aetna’s work comp subsidiary has new leader
Read More...There is a truly terrifying problem in the US that no one has paid attention to until now. Health care costs for public-sector retirees may represent a total cost of $1 trillion, according to Mercer Human Resources. State and local … Continue reading Governmental liability for health care costs
Read More...United HealthGroup appears to be preparing to re-enter the workers compensation network business. Sources indicate that the initiative is housed within UHG’s Ingenix subsidiary; plans are not finalized but reports indicate this is all but a done deal. Ingenix’ new … Continue reading United HealthGroup’s workers comp network business
Read More...There continues to be an ongoing discussion in this country regarding who or what entity should be responsible for providing health insurance. The ends of the spectrum are the strong conservatives/libertarians who are in favor of total individual responsibility for … Continue reading Employer-based health insurance
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