Increasing funding for comparative effectiveness projects could save money and improve the safety and quality of the health care system, according to a panel of consumer advocates at an AARP and Consumers Union briefing. Read more »
With increased medical costs putting a strain on household finances, Americans say they are unhappy with their health care system and want to see major changes, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 11th annual Health Confidence Survey. Read more »
Wrestling with what to say that might help Congress address fast-growing health care outlays, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) took a look at some of the factors driving that growth: construction outlays growing at a faster clip than in other sectors of the economy; more rapid wage growth; and bigger gains in employment, for example. Read more »
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's proposal to allow individuals to buy insurance across state lines would decrease access to health insurance, according to a new report issued by the New America Foundation. Read more »
A new study in the American Journal of Managed Care on primary care physicians' knowledge of consumer-directed health plans found that many doctors do not understand the financial implications of these plans for their patients. Read more »
A segment of the Medicare population that includes many of its sickest enrollees has a declining number of prescription drug plans from which to choose, according to a consulting firm's analysis. The concern is that "they have a skinnier set of options to match up to their needs," said Lindsey Spindle, a spokeswoman for Avalere Health, the Washington, D.C.-based firm that conducted the study. Read more »