"Managed Care 101 in 2010 — There are ways for patients and practitioners to fight for their rights

"One Cannot Measure What One Does Not Manage" (Cont'd)
Shaking Down Docs (Part XIII-j)– Originally published Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It should come as no surprise that Medicare managed care plans underpay non-pars. This unsavory practice is financially painful for any affected out-of-network physicians. Fortunately, the illegitimately underpaid practitioners can push the plan to do what is their lawful obligation. Here are the necessary steps to take:

Socialized Medicine, An Anathema (Part XIII-k)– Two page blog with 10 commentaries, originally published Friday, June 5, 2009

Steve Forbes, publisher writes that the Obama Administration's plan to deal with the uninsured is a surreptitious attempt to socialize American healthcare, thereby taking over 17% of the economy.

Are tax deductions egalitarian; so what if they're not? Do HSA's work? Is health care a right or a privilege?

The Centrality and Inevitability of Measurement and Management (Part XIII-l)

Monday, June 15, 2009

The big opportunity in healthcare reform is in being aware of what's going on and what is not—measuring and managing; managing and measuring.

Public Option v. Private Gain? (Part XIII-m)

Friday, June 19, 2009

"The reform includes a broad range of measures to extend and improve care and help curb rising costs, but the epicenter of the debate is over what is called the 'public option.'"

Sit on, Obfuscate, Bureaucratize (Part XIII-n) 

 Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) attributes most of the exorbitant cost of healthcare to the contemptible profits being made by the health insurance industry 

Socialized Medicine, Unaffordable? (Part XIII-o)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

It was fairly easy in last week's post to justify looking hard at the costs of care. All I had to do was reference population studies that show wide, unexplainable variation in tests, procedures, the costs, its quality, or benefit (outcomes).

Health Information Technology (HIT)—"Doc, I'm here to help ya." (Part XIII-p)

Wed. July 8, 2009

Health information technology has become a national priority and there are incentives for using an EHR—a physician can receive up to $44,000 for purchasing and using the computer in their office in a "meaningful" way, but what does that really mean and is this campaign a Trojan Horse? 

"Healthcare for All—What's it Gonna Cost? (Part XIII-q)"

Thursday, July 16, 2009 

How much will it cost to develop and maintain a durable, access facilitated, variation reduced, efficient and cost-effective health care system that also includes a doc-payment fix?

"One Cannot Measure What One Does Not Manage" (Series end)

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Cancer—In Need of Reform (Part XIII-r)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

So you thought healthcare reform is just a matter of political finesse, emulating other industrialized countries (docs making less, long queues and rationing [more on that aspect, next week]) or incentives realignment?

Frances M. Visco, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition feels the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding the Human Genome Project to the exclusion of the possible role that the environment may play in causing breast cancer.  

Rationing and Reform (Part XIII-s)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

On the one hand, there's rationing... And on the other hand, there's measurement and management...

Managed Care 101 in 2010 (Part XIV): How to Manage the Care of People, One After Another

Thursday, July 30, 2009

People are living longer and the population is aging; as a consequence, we are seeing more need for chronic disease management, but at the same time, there is a decline in the availability of primary care physicians.

Managed Care 101 in 2010 (Part XV): "Hello! Managed Care"

Friday, August 7, 2009

Managed Care is an opportunity to do just that—manage the care and create a balance of its three interdependent components: access, cost and quality.

On the One Hand, There's the Rationing Option (Part XIII-s of "One Cannot Measure What One Does Not Manage.") Pub. at MDNG.com Tues. July 28, 2009