Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
There’s been a lot of ‘under the radar’ activity in the work comp space of late, with much of it coming from the Medicare Set Aside sector. As ‘unique’ as the workers comp services sector may be, there’s no niche … Continue reading Updates from the wonderful world of medicare set asides…
Read More...Data from several sources, including Farrah and Associates (got to love a company that is located in Maine) indicates group insurers were able to reduce medical trend to 4.9% last year. That’s the best result, in, well, further back than … Continue reading Group health medical costs moderated; how’d you do?
Read More...Coventry earnings call this morning was notable in at least two ways – more discussion about underlying cost drivers, utilization trends and management thereof, and the growing importance of low cost delivery systems from management. And more evidence that (most) … Continue reading Coventry – getting with the post-reform program
Read More...Today’s Kaiser Health Tracking Poll contains interesting data about support for health reform (steady positives, declining negatives), what’s much more telling is the extent of seniors’ a) ignorance of basic facts about health reform and b) widespread belief that reform … Continue reading The power of mis-information – a cautionary tale for health plans
Read More...The recess appointment of Dr Donald Berwick as head of CMS has incited a furor among politicians outraged at what they claim are his advocacy for rationing and fondness for Britain’s National Health Service. To support their claims, these politicians … Continue reading Is Don Berwick going to be Sherrod-ed?
Read More...Last Friday the news couldn’t have been much worse for ex North Dakota state work comp fund CEO Sandy Blunt: the state’s Supreme Court affirmed his felony conviction on charges of theft. I spoke with Sandy that day, and can … Continue reading From North Dakota, proof that Blunt was railroaded
Read More...Several clients have asked for more detail on how the reform bill will change Medicare reimbursement for physicians and other non-facility providers. Here’s the synopsis. First, note that this pertains only to reimbursement changes contained within the reform bill. There … Continue reading Changes to physician reimbursement under reform – the details
Read More...The good folks at NCCI just released a report [opens pdf] detailing workers comp medical cost drivers; there are two ‘headline’ findings; severity is increasing at a slower rate, and the price of medical services is becoming a larger contributor … Continue reading Work comp cost drivers – NCCI’s update and implications
Read More...There’s a bit of confusion in the comp pharmacy management space, as there appears to be contradictory evidence from two respected sources about the use of narcotic opioids in workers comp. First, everyone agrees there’s just far too many claimaints … Continue reading Narcotic usage in workers comp – what’s really going on?
Read More...Coventry Health will be taking a $278 million charge against earnings to cover the company’s fine plus interest and legal costs resulting from last week’s Louisiana appellate courte ruling in a workers comp PPO network case. On a per-share basis, … Continue reading Coventry’s $278 million miscue
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