Although not an easy discussion, it is vital that we know the preferences and choices of loved ones (and they know ours) regarding the kind of support you and those you love expect long before a crisis occurs.
Health Care Topic: Medicare
Jan 17, 2012
Jan 3, 2012
The U.S. hospital sector is one of the largest industries in the United States. It’s a $700 billion dollar industry, and there is twice as much money spent on hospital care than is spent on the purchase of new cars.
Topics: Chronic Disease, Medicare
Dec 8, 2011
High-quality, cost-effective health care delivery is all about targeting: the right care, by the right provider, at the right time, in the right place, and for the right cost. It sounds straightforward, almost easy. The challenge to getting it right is understanding the range of variables in a person’s life that drive health care use and costs.
Topics: Health Reform, Medicare
Dec 1, 2011
There is surprisingly little consensus – and not even much being written – about what growth rate would be “sustainable”? Defining sustainable growth and establishing a credible target is one of our top research priorities.
Topics: Medicare, Military & Veterans Health
Sep 15, 2011
The Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated health care system in the country, has long employed many of the approaches Medicare is pushing on all hospitals to cut unnecessary readmissions. But new data show VA hospital patients are just as likely to end up back in a hospital bed as are patients at private hospitals.
Topics: Health Policy, Medicare
Jul 12, 2011
“Granny” is in the health policy crosshairs yet again. This time, it’s IPAB – the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the topic of two separate House hearings this week – that will theoretically unplug her, ration her, or sink her with the Titanic.
Topics: Aging, Chronic Disease, Medicare
Jun 7, 2011
What if a high-risk, chronically ill elderly patient that was admitted to the hospital had an advanced practice nurse (APN) caring for him (or her) from the get-go? And that nurse enhanced health care team communication and prevented functional decline?
Topics: Health Policy, Health Reform, Medicare
May 10, 2011
As of this writing, since taking control of the House in January, Republicans have tried to repeal the ACA, strike out large portions of the law, defund it, and weaken some of the regulations of health reform. Some were willing to shut down the government over health reform.
Topics: Costs & Economic Analysis, Hospitals, Medicare
Apr 25, 2011
Ask any policy wonk to rattle off the most powerful ways to improve performance in the U.S. health care system and you’ll likely hear them mention payment reform. You’ll hear them talk about how the U.S. health care system has historically paid for quantity, not quality and these policy wonks will argue that successful health care reform must include introducing so-called pay-for-performance programs that link payments to outcomes.
Topics: Costs & Economic Analysis, Hospitals, Medicare
Mar 22, 2011
Some regions of the country that have been lambasted for high levels of Medicare spending actually are below the national average once the severity of patient sickness and special local expenses are taken into account, according to data from a new government analysis.
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