Healthcare Digest 5/13: Healthcare Spending Down; This Might Not be Great

This seems a curious take on healthcare in America: “U.S. researchers say they are cautiously optimistic the slowdown in healthcare spending is here to stay.”

The UPI story goes on to say: “During 2009-11, per-capita national health spending grew about 3 percent annually, compared with an average of 5.9 percent annually during the previous 10 years.”

A main contributor in the “optimistic slowdown” is, of course, the fact that fewer and fewer people can afford to go to the doctor. So, the adjective optimistic seems…I don’t know. Weird. It just seems like Americans should be getting MORE healthcare, not less. And if Americans are eschewing healthcare because they can’t afford treatment, that seems not something to be optimistic about; it, instead, speaks to systemic issues within the system that’s supposed to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — none of which any of us can do if we’re too ill to pursue them.

“The findings, published in the journal Health Affairs, suggested cautious optimism that the slowdown in the growth of healthcare spending might persist — a change that, if borne out, could have a major impact on U.S. health spending projections and fiscal challenges facing the country.”

Maybe I just don’t know how words work any more.

Monday’s Headlines

Why Can’t Everything Just Cost the Same Amount of Dollars?: “Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama’s health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn. Where you live could make a huge difference in what you’ll pay.” [Associated Press]

Big Employers Wait for Healthcare Clarity: “Under the federal Affordable Care Act , large employers — those with the equivalent of 50 or more full-time employees — must offer what the federal government considers quality, affordable health insurance to their employees and employees’ children, or face fines. But other large local employers, who declined to speak on the record for this story, are struggling to grasp the immense and complex reforms. Some are facing major changes, such as having to offer health insurance for employees’ children, where before they offered coverage only to employees.” [Register Guard]

This Question Again: “What is the future of healthcare? What is real reform? It is difficult to see the future, however, as the Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, stated in our Chamber luncheon last week, “Healthcare reform is essential.” His comments went on to illustrate that the U.S. spends a great deal more on healthcare than any other country. OECD Health Data showed that in 2010 the U.S. per capita healthcare expenditures were $7,910 with the nearest country being Switzerland at $5,270. And yet, we are struggling with escalating healthcare costs.” [DailyProgress]

But What About the Children?: “Since 2009, with passage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), states have had the option of extending eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP to all lawful immigrant children residing in the United States, with no waiting period. The legislation provides federal matching dollars if the state does away with the waiting period. Florida, however, has yet to change any provisions in its law. [NewAmericaMedia.org]

Healthcare Communications: “Understanding the “who” in healthcare communications has always been critical, but it is becoming more complicated than ever to really pinpoint who the “who” really is. No, I am not talking about delving into the psyche of Dr. Seuss’ famous community. I am talking about identifying the person, group, or entity that should be at the center of our communications, the audience who will truly influence perception and adoption.” [Press Release]

Opportunities for Entrepreneurs: “Thousands of would-be entrepreneurs are itching to start their own businesses, but many are shackled to their current employer by health-care benefits they don’t think they could otherwise afford. Economists call this phenomenon ‘job lock,’ or ‘entrepreneurship lock.’” [Wall Street Journal]

IT Guys to Watch! (No really: watch these guys because they’re in control of things like your passwords): “A few years ago Atrius Health, a major independent physicians group, tried giving elderly, chronically ill patients devices that they could use in their homes to do things such as provide a verbal reminder to take their medications. “It absolutely made sense,” says Dr. Michael Lee, Atrius’s director of informatics. “It just didn’t work.” People simply didn’t like using the devices, so adoption was tiny. But, Lee says, this is exactly the kind of experimentation health IT leaders need to be doing. ‘The honest answer is we don’t know what changes in processes will truly impact a lot of these patients,’ he says, ‘… and the only way we can learn is to innovate and try and see what the outcome is.’” [InformationWeek]