opinion Kathleen Slonager Published 11:00 PM EDT Mar 15, 2019 Americans consistently cite healthcare costs and access as some of their highest concerns. Imagine a situation where costs and access become even worse. Allergy season is right around the corner here in Michigan and plenty of us will be affected by the pollen in the air. Imagine there’s just enough floating around to make you feel uncomfortably congested. It isn’t excruciating, but you certainly don’t feel your best. You can’t let that stop you, so you go to your local pharmacy to pick up your tried-and-true allergy medicine. Now imagine you walk up to the pharmacy counter and instead of showing your ID and signing a logbook, your pharmacist apologizes and tells you that she now needs a prescription from your doctor. Your allergies have never been severe enough to make you visit your doctor, but you call their office and are told they can’t get you in for an appointment for … [Read more...] about prescription requirements would cost Michigan
Healthcare cost solutions
Tech tools that can help you cut your healthcare costs
Published 12:38 pm CST, Friday, March 8, 2019 Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Tech tools that can help you cut your healthcare costs 1 / 1 Back to Gallery (BPT) - If you find it challenging to understand the convoluted and sometimes conflicting information regarding your healthcare, you’re not alone. Because the U.S. healthcare system is so complex, it can be a struggle for patients and even doctors to have clear, transparent information about the costs of medications and how they are covered by insurance. Technological solutions have made a difference, helping to bring transparency and helping patients gain control of their care in a variety of ways. Technology gives doctors access: For example, technology has helped give doctors information on the costs of the thousands of drugs they prescribe. Given the many different insurance plans that cover their patients, with each charging different amounts for … [Read more...] about Tech tools that can help you cut your healthcare costs
Amazon’s senior leader of healthcare and AI talks disruption, Amazon Web Services
When ex-FDA chief health informatics officer Taha Kass-Hout joined Amazon as its senior leader in healthcare and AI, some saw his appointment as proof the retailing behemoth could be dealing with regulatory issues or zeroing in on digital health. Amazon has remained largely mum about its overall designs in the space, though a solidifying foray into pharmaceutical delivery with PillPack and a troika with J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway to lower healthcare costs raise the veil somewhat. Amazon's health IT efforts are a bit more clear. The company wrapped up 2018 with an expansion of its HIPAA-eligible AI services and the introduction of Amazon Comprehend Medical, a service that can process reams of electronic patient records for needed data. Kass-Hout sat down at HIMSS to talk with Healthcare Dive about his role at Amazon, its suite of web, cloud and AI services and the perennial issues in the sector. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and … [Read more...] about Amazon’s senior leader of healthcare and AI talks disruption, Amazon Web Services
Policy can often improve a state’s health more than healthcare; report offers 13 policies known to work, Ky only does 6
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Improving a state's health outcomes and lowering healthcare costs often has less to do with health care and more to do with implementing a range of policies that are known to have long-term impacts on health, such as smoke-free policies and universal pre-kindergarten programs. So says a new report which shows that Kentucky is only implementing six of the 13 suggested policies. "The United States is spending more and more on healthcare services to treat disease. Yet spending on the drivers of good health -- quality housing, healthy foods and education -- is stagnant," says the report form Trust for America's Health, Promoting Health and Cost Control: How States Can Improve Community Health and Well-being through Policy Change. "Residents of other countries that have higher ratios of spending on social services to spending on health care services have better health and live longer despite the U.S. spending more money per capita on … [Read more...] about Policy can often improve a state’s health more than healthcare; report offers 13 policies known to work, Ky only does 6
Morgan Stanley hires first CMO to combat rising healthcare costs
Dive Brief: Morgan Stanley is the latest big employer to take a more active role in tackling rising healthcare costs, hiring its first chief medical officer and head of human resources data and analytics earlier this week. The new hire is David Stark, assistant professor and medical director from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a spokesperson confirmed to Healthcare Dive. Stark is a doctor who has worked at New York-based Icahn as an assistant professor of health system design and global health and served as medical director of the Institute for Next Generation Healthcare since July 2016. Business Insider first reported the new role. Stark will seek ways to stem the tide of healthcare costs while boosting wellness for the 57,000 employees at the bank. Stark created Lab100 earlier this year, a clinic and research lab at Mount Sinai that leverages data and analytics to help patients try to improve their own health and behavior. Dive Insight: Morgan Stanley … [Read more...] about Morgan Stanley hires first CMO to combat rising healthcare costs