MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'health care cost'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:33:22 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181790&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFSpBgAwfDVs%2F By Mary Grealy. When we talk about people who don’t have access to healthcare, there’s a natural assumption that it’s because they can’t afford it.  A new study shows that’s not necessarily the case. According to the study published in the journal Health Services Research, 21 percent of American adults said they had delayed care for non-financial reasons compared to 19 percent that cited cost as the primary reason for not seeking healthcare. Those non-financial reasons included not being able to get to a doctor’s office during working hours, long commutes to the medical office, or not being able to get an appointment soon enough.  As the study’s lead author said, “In reality, there are all kinds of reasons why people can’t get the care they need when they need it.” Th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181790 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:16:36 +0100 5181790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139745&cid=t_280236_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F5sSY0OCxWR8%2F The Unites States appears to be falling behind other nations when it comes to providing affordable health care for its population (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139745 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:32:28 +0100 5139745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028200&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F6Yvhta4ECuk%2F By Hope Ditto. Most of the country is sweltering its way through this week’s heat wave, but there is one thing here in DC rising faster than the mercury in our thermometers – tensions on the Hill as the debt ceiling stalemate continues. Whispers [well, tweeted whispers] of default “what ifs” abound here in the nation’s capital as lawmakers continue to play a high-stakes game of chicken through day after day of floor debates, committee hearings and negotiating sessions. With interest rates, Social Security payments and America’s credit score dangling in the balance, and the clock ticking towards the Aug. 2 deadline, the air is even thicker with panic than it is with humidity (though my frizzy hair would say otherwise). As with April’s narrowly-avoided government shutdown, pun... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028200 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:00:17 +0100 5028200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992681&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.changehealthcare.com%2Fdownloads%2Fhcti%2FHCTI_Q42010.pdf My mama told me you’d better shop around, as Smokey Robinson also told us. We now know it pays to shop the prices for digital imaging. The price of an MRI of the brain ranges from a low of $825 to a high of $3,600 within the Southeast region of the U.S. In the Northeast, the low is $1,540 and the high, $3,500. There are similar price “spreads” in other regions of the country for the same imaging study, and across other imaging modalities such as PET and CT. The greatest regional variances by service type are for MRI scans of the brain, varying 747% between a low price of $425 in the Southwest to a high of $3,600 in the Southeast, based on an analysis from change: healthcare‘s Q2 2011 Healthcare Transparency Index. USA Today reported on this study on June 30, 2011. Christopher Park... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992681 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:47:47 +0100 4992681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984442&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fff8Oq-VAK_A%2F Health is where we live, play, work and pray — and also where we moisturize. Eucerin is working to create a Skin Savvy Nation. Welcome, health consumers, to the Eucerin Skin Health Cost Calculator, a tool that quantifies the financial impacts of skincare habits by estimating the life-cycle costs and benefits those skin health habits would have. The Calculator takes the consumer through a battery of questions together which yield a “skin score.” These include personal health habits such as not smoking, using skin-protecting moisturizer on a daily basis, and staying out of the sun. Eucerin gauges the cost of poor skincare at $400 billion a year in the U.S., about $400 per capita for each American. This is part of Eucerin’s PR campaign called the “Skin First Movement,” in wh... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984442 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:09:26 +0100 4984442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445797&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FeIsknPHxr8M%2F By Glenna Crooks. This is the week many of us will consider – or finally make – Valentine’s Day purchases. Some of us will consider chocolate. Maybe more of us should. I wondered about that as I saw some disparate bits of data over the weekend. An article on Valentine’s Day spending was informative: couples will spend just under $70 on each other and we’ll spend, on average, $5 on pets, $6 on friends, $5 on teachers and $3.50 on co-workers. What will we be buying? In all, about $12.B in treats for the day: $3.5B on jewelry, $1.6B on clothing, $3.4B on dinner, $1.7B on flowers, $1.5B on candy (of which $285M will be on chocolate) and $1.1B on greeting cards. I get interested in items like this when I hear that we ‘can’t afford health care.’ I’ve noticed over the years how ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445797 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:48:38 +0100 4445797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190150&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-rationing-of-healthcare%2F2010.11.22 Do you recall the severe rationing of food and water the Chilean miners had to endure to survive? The rationing was done to stretch their limited resources. I would argue the state of Arizona’s new policy to not cover organ transplants for patients on Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) or their version of Medicaid is a similar form of rationing. AHCCCS, as many Medicaid programs, is underfunded. They are trying to operate on a limited budget. Something has to give. Sadly in this case, many (NPR reports 98) had already been granted approval for organ transplants which they may not receive. Francisco Felix, 32, who due to hepatitis-C needs a liver transplant, is reported to have made it to the operating room, prepped and ready for his life-saving liver transplant when d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190150 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4190150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186881&cid=t_280236_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F11%2Farizona-begins-rationing-care-medicaid-patients-denying-coverage-transplants%2F Arizona’s Medicaid program has begun denying coverage for patients who need some types of heart and bone marrow transplants, lung transplants, pancreatic transplants, and liver transplants for patients with hepatitis C. Heart transplant waiting list patient Randy Shepherd tells his story when the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System told him he was being placed on the inactive list until he could raise the funds to pay for his own transplant. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186881 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:33:48 +0100 4186881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040559&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FnNYdAVoYOwc%2F Do you find yourself a little confused about what happens when with the health care reform law? To help clear up the confusion the Kaiser Family Foundation wrote and produced a short animated video that explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014. The video is narrated by Cokie Roberts, a news commentator for ABC News and NPR and a member of Kaiser’s Board of Trustees. View the video. In addition to this video, the Kaiser Family Foundation has great resources/basic information to help you understand the new law. To access this information, click here. Related posts:Health Reform Resources The NHMA Forum on Health Care Reform offers an opportunity to impact health reform legislation Transition and ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040559 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:43:47 +0100 4040559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899386&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUVQc0xWYg74%2F By Trisha Torrey. Once upon a time when we experienced strange symptoms, we went to the doctor, the doctor listened and asked questions, we got the medical tests we needed, were correctly diagnosed and successfully treated, and we could afford all that great care. I say “once upon a time” because today, that scenario is mostly a fantasy.  And sadly, today’s story doesn’t always end with happily-ever-after – for anyone. Providers went to medical school to learn to heal and help. Instead they carry excessive patient loads amidst decreasing reimbursements, spend a small fortune on malpractice insurance, and reject some patients who don’t have the right kinds of payers, or who take up too much time with difficult diseases or comorbidities. They are frustrated with their inability ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899386 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:40:49 +0100 3899386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845097&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F4T8wLlTFaKs%2F By Robin Strongin. Over the next several weeks Disruptive Women will be blogging about the various aspects of patient advocacy.  To get ready for these posts think about what patient advocacy means to you. Comment on this post to let us know what it means to you, its level of importance in health care and any questions you may have about it. Communication and asking questions are crtical aspects of patient advocacy, so we hope you will join us in this very important dialogue over the coming weeks. Related posts:Calling Patient Advocates–Share Your Story Health Reform: Patient Rights, Patient Reponsibilities Patient Outreach: The (Oft-Neglected) Critical Component of Health Reform (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845097 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:45:21 +0100 3845097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954513&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FhtDlMF9n9YQ%2F The following post – part of Disruptive Women’s Drug Adherence Series – is by Stacey Irving of McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions. Poor medication adherence affects all of us in healthcare — it’s a problem that our entire industry is trying to tackle. By many estimates, more than 50% of patients aren’t taking their medications as prescribed. And that’s a real problem: it’s adding $177 billion in additional healthcare costs and contributing to sicker patients. Reports associate lack of adherence with 10% of hospital visits and 40% of nursing home admissions. At McKesson, we’re trying a new approach. We’ve partnered with pharmaceutical manufacturers to sponsor programs that get community pharmacists involved in promoting medication adherence. Independent ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954513 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:59:02 +0100 2954513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862481&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Ftk6ZicbvdJY%2F Ever wonder why your physician only spends 5-10 rushed minutes with you during your office visit? You may think it’s because there are simply too many patients vying for her time, but that’s not the real reason. The root cause is that health insurance companies are stealing time from your visit by requiring excessive documentation from your doctor. She can’t give you the time you need, because doing so would put her out of business. In a special report on the administrative burden of healthcare, MedPage Today revealed that PCPs spend about one third of their income on documentation required by health insurers. Because they run a business with thin margins, they must increase the volume of patients they treat in order to cover the salaries of the staff required to manage this “paper... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862481 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:55 +0100 2862481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699854&cid=t_280236_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyelomablog.com%2F2009%2F08%2F13%2Fbig-medical-bills%2F My nephew called last night to tell me that he’d had a trip to the ER Monday from work, by ambulance. He became really dizzy, and wasn’t even able to walk.  His manager called for an ambulance, and he was taken to the nearest hospital.  The ride made him feel even worse, causing nausea and vomiting.  After several hours at the hospital, he was told he had vertigo and was allowed to go home.  He saw a doctor the next day to make sure there wasn’t anything more he needed to do. One of his concerns was the bill.  As someone who’s been paying medical bills on a continuous basis for over 6 years now, I offered some advice.  My advice to anyone who incurs hefty medical bills is to negotiate payments if you’re not able to pay the whole thing at once.  I’... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699854 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:23:26 +0100 2699854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375801&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F33Nq52mHUKI%2F Today, April 28th, is Blog for Fair Pay Day. In recognition of this important day, our guest post by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, relates to health care and equal pay. Between 2000 and 2006, health insurance premiums increased 87.5 percent—4 times more than wages. In addition to the burden of inflated health care costs, women are still paid only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men—with women of color earning even less. In a world where women are earning significantly less than men for comparable work, how can they also afford health care? Pay inequity for women compounds the issues that already exist with our broken health care system. This is a system that makes unfair practices by insurance companies flourish, s... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375801 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:54 +0100 2375801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097786&cid=t_280236_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fcrisis-in-health-care-funding-better-to.html Articles that worry about the rising costs of health care and hand wring about what we are to do about it are a dime a dozen. Still, Washington Post Science and Medical Reporter David Brown has written a lengthy article that presents a good summary of the problem. From the story: This difficult truth, which has emerged over the past half-century, is leading the United States and the rest of the industrialized world into a new era of humankind. We are on a collision course between our wish to live longer, healthier lives and our capacity to pay for that wish. Whether we can somehow avoid the collision is perhaps the most important domestic issue of this century. From now on, health care costs will be up there with globalization, terrorism and climate change as a force shaping our world.So t... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097786 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:01:00 +0100 2097786