Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Yesterday I discussed the ongoing debate about potential changes to California’s work comp fee schedule. In case my position was too subtle, I’ve got grave reservations about using RBRVS (Medicare) as the basis for a work comp physician fee schedule. … Continue reading California Work Comp – Part Two – the hospitals…and what to do about them
Read More...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...Health Affairs’ most recent edition includes a piece [sub req] on the changing health care landscape in California, one that now has hospitals occupying the high ground. The historical background is telling; too many hospitals to begin led to tough … Continue reading Hospital costs in California – the tide has turned
Read More...Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held an initial hearing aimed at removing some of the health insurance industry’s anti-trust exemptions. The hearing, entitled “Prohibiting Price Fixing and Other Anticompetitive Conduct in the Health Insurance Industry”, may be a reaction … Continue reading Anti-trust and the Health Insurance Industry – what’s this all about?
Read More...Yesterday we examined the potential impact on insurers and insureds of a failure to pass meaningful comprehensive health reform . Today we’ll look at the effect on providers. Again, we’ll leave aside the possibility of individual bills addressing physician compensation … Continue reading If health reform fails, part 2 – the providers
Read More...The fierce battle over the public plan option is much ado about very little, an epic battle over a useless piece of political ground. It is the health care debate’s version of the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest – a … Continue reading Why the fight over the public plan option is pointless
Read More...Details of the Senate Finance committee’s draft plan for health reform were obtained yesterday by Ezra Klein (now of the Washington Post). Here’s how Ezra characterizes the draft: “The numbers tell the story. In [the original version that was submitted … Continue reading The Finance Committee’s health reform plan – a handout for the private insurance industry
Read More...It’s here. Almost. At long last, health reform is no longer just an idea, a glimmer in the distance, a subject of interest only to those writing doctoral theses, policy papers, and other intellectually interesting but practically useless missives. Dare … Continue reading Health Reform – what’s happening and why
Read More...I’ve fielded several calls over the last few days from clients and colleagues asking about the potential implications of the Obama Administration’s vow to more rigorously enforce antitrust regulations. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, not one case … Continue reading Anti-Trust and the work comp managed care business
Read More...Perhaps the biggest battle brewing in Congress in the health reform war is that of the public option. As I said back in January, “Opponents claim that the Feds would have an unfair advantage due in part to their sheer … Continue reading Why a public health plan option isn’t anti-competitive
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