Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Yesterday’s non-announcement that ExamWorks bought Optum’s Settlement (MSA) business should not have been a surprise. Word on the street is Optum’s been trying to off-load its PBM (pharmacy benefit management) and ancillary services businesses for some months now. That and … Continue reading What’s up with Optum workers’ comp?
Read More...In the ever-changing world of healthcare economics, one thing is becoming more of a norm – high hospital costs. Crazy facility fees coupled with hospital/health system consolidation are leading to higher prices for payers. Facility fees, viewed by some as … Continue reading Cost Doesn’t Equal Quality
Read More...For those I caught with my April Fool’s post…I hope you took it in the spirit in which it was intended… Okay, back to reality (oh no….) Hospital closures and cutbacks Another hospital in a non-Medicaid expansion state is closing … Continue reading Wednesday catch-up – data breach, hospital cutback, and the ACA 10 years on.
Read More...To know why some think the US healthcare system is going to get better and cheaper – and why I strongly disagree, read on. David Cutler PhD led off the WCRI’s confab with a discussion of the future of healthcare. … Continue reading WCRI – What’s happening with healthcare – better days ahead, or collapse?
Read More...Ramona Tanabe, CEO of WCRI – a most excellent workers’ comp research organization – was kind enough to carve out a few minutes on the eve of this year’s gathering of the brainiacs to answer a few of your reporter’s … Continue reading Ramona Tanabe on WCRI’s annual confab.
Read More...Medicare is slashing what it pays physicians, an annual event that – till now – was almost always rejected by Congress. That will reduce old folks’ access to care, cut workers’ comp fee schedules, and likely lead to more provider … Continue reading Signs of the coming apocalypse
Read More...Some of you know Jay Stith – he’s been working with HSA for half a decade now, heading up data analytics and research. Jay’s brilliant, has a great dry wit, and most of all very insightful. He sees stuff – … Continue reading Predictions for healthcare in 2024
Read More...Here’s the second half of my predictions – and how they panned out… 6. The growing impact of global warming will force changes in risk assessment, management and mitigation; technology adoption; and claims. The predicted (heat injuries, wildfires, hurricane intensity, sea … Continue reading 2023 work comp predictions…how’d I do part 2
Read More...Over the last two decades work comp bill review has A) changed a lot and B) remained stagnant. Both things are true… Here’s the top takeaways from our just-released Survey of Workers’ Comp Bill Review (public version is available here; respondents received … Continue reading Work comp bill review – the state of the industry
Read More...Isn’t a problem. In most states. Today. That is the headline takeaway from WCRI’s presentation last week… First a few key factors. Drug spend is a much lower percentage of total medical today than it was a decade ago. I’m … Continue reading Medical inflation in work comp…
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