Recent Articles

“The lobbyists promised that these technologies would make medical administration more efficient and lower medical costs by up to $100 billion annually. Many doctors and health-care administrators are wary of such claims—a wariness based on their own experience. An extensive new study indicates that the caution is justified: The savings turn out to be chimerical.”

“The most common theory is that reform causes consolidation. But what if the effect on hospitals is even more radical? What if the legislation changes the largely nonprofit nature of the industry?”

“Mr. Summers was more comfortable discussing the health care law’s implications for the broader economy than the direct effect on his own business. We talked at length about why he fears his customers could retrench in the wake of the law’s execution — and how his suppliers might pass on their increased costs to him, raising his costs as his revenue is squeezed.”

“The moves are meant to prepare Welch Allyn to address the new ‘onerous’ U.S. Medical Device Tax scheduled to take effect next year under the Affordable Care Act, the company said… The company can’t just pass on the tax increase to its customers — clinics, doctors’ offices and hospitals — who are already being pushed to cut costs, Chadderdon said.
The tax is 2.3 percent of a medical device maker’s U.S. revenue, but takes a bigger bite out of profits, Chief Executive Steve Meyer said Monday.”

“The Obama team is woefully behind its own schedule for implementing features of the legislation. The critical regulations outlining what the Obamacare insurance benefit will look like was supposed to be out more than six months ago. Now it looks like this regulation won’t be dropped until after the election. This is just one key aspect of the program that is way behind the administration’s own timeline.”

“The freshman senator from Wisconsin is challenging the IRS rule that circumvents Congress to support the creation of federal-facilitated health insurance exchanges and expose millions of Americans to Obamacare penalties.”

“Officials in California want prime-time TV shows to help promote President Obama’s healthcare law.
Outreach to television producers is part of the marketing plan adopted by California’s insurance exchange — a new marketplace, created by the Affordable Care Act, where individuals and small businesses will be able to buy private insurance.”

“So providers are rejecting the ACO model on the front end — nervous about the significant and costly administrative burdens they’ll pose. But if they fight through the red tape and establish the ACOs that Obamcare wants them, they’ll find themselves unrestrained by competition and free to raise prices. Not exactly what the Obama Administration has in mind.”

“Christian-oriented Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging a mandate in the nation’s health care overhaul law that requires employers to provide coverage for the morning-after pill and similar drugs.”

“A House subcommittee late Tuesday passed legislation that would exempt commissions paid to insurance agents to find health policies in the individual and small group markets from the medical loss ratio calculation mandated under the healthcare reform law.”