Rogers Scholars Blog

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
by Nicole Vij
Employee benefits administrator Discovery Benefits denied coverage to a woman battling Leukemia over a payment shortage of one penny. 
 

Poll Finds Vast Majority of Seniors Can't Answer Simple Questions About Reform
by Tim Hiller
A new poll shows that seniors are, by and large, confused about health reform and what it means for them.  This is bad news for proponents of reform as we head into what could be a very contentious election season.

Atul Gawande Gives the Hospice Movement a Bump
by Tim Hiller
Atul Guwande's latest piece in the New Yorker presents a heartfelt and compelling argument for hospice care.  Guwande argues, and from personal experience from my grandfather's stay in Hospice I am inclined to agree with him, that hospice care at the end of life leads to better outcomes and saves untold sums of money.

Is Ignorance Bliss?
by Selena Hunn
DTC tests provide a low-cost means for individuals to learn about their ancestral history and gain insight about particular genetic diseases they may be at risk for. Although the DTC test results can serve as a means of taking preventive steps in one’s personal health, there also is a risk of losing control over your genetic information.

States Robbing from Peter to Pay Paul with Mental Health Cuts
by Tim Hiller
As states struggle to make ends meet, there will be many tough choices on the horizon.  However, common sense and hard data inform against attempting to achieve short term savings on the backs of the mentally ill.  Eventually the costs come home to roost when the mentally ill, cut off from their treatement, end up in prison or an emergency room. 

Medicaid Cost Containment: There's No Generic Solution
by Krista Maier
A recent study published in Health Affairs concluded that by eliminating a requirement for patient OK before a generic drug can be substituted for a brand one, some state Medicaid programs can save as much as $100 million.  However, because the Medicaid drug reimbursement system is so complicated, a sweeping generic substitution policy may not be the most cost effective approach.

Maine oh Maine: HealthMarkets, Inc. Saga Proves Complicated
by Tim Hiller
It's hard to tell whether Maine's request that it be exempted from the Medical Loss Ratio requirement in the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on behalf of Texas based insurer HealthMarkets, Inc. is warranted.  While the individual insurance market in Maine is undeniably a tight market, data suggests that HealthMarkets, Inc. is inefficient and gives exorbitant executive compensation packages. Greater transparency about why Healthmarkets, Inc. needs this exemption is in order.

Group Purchasing Organizations Expose Weakness in Market Based Solution
by Tim Hiller
Opponents of reform often argue that if only the market were left to its own devices, meaningful cost control would ensue.  However, when one examines the recent history of Group Purchasing Organizaitons (GPOs), we see that the unchecked market can lead to fraud, waste and abuse.  Ultimately, only government intervention can align market based incentives with cost control.

FMAP Extension Could Occur When Congress Returns from Recess
by Tim Hiller
As the human toll of state Medicaid cuts mount, Kaiser Health News' Mary Agnes Cary reports that there is quite a bit of talk going on at the moment about taking up the FMAP issue when Congress returns from break next week.

The Toothless Face of Deficit Posturing

by Tim Hiller
The Senate is refusing to extend funds to states to help them prevent Medicaid cuts in the name of deficit reduction.  The result? States are cutting dental benefits and beneficiaries are increasingly having teeth removed when dental problems arise because they cannot live with the pain, and cannot afford to pay for propper dental care out of pocket.

Health Insurance Versus 3D TV
by Rafael Roberti
The individual mandate is one of the most controversial provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), but it raises an important question. How can we ensure that healthy, young individuals buy health insurance instead of paying the fine or getting insurance only when they get sick?

The United States Ranks Last In Health Care Study
by Jennifer Cohen
A study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund shows that Americans experience lower quality, less access, less efficiency, and have a less equitable health care system than other nations.