Geography rather than race could be the central reason for health care disparities between black and white patients, according to an analysis released by researchers at the American Enterprise Institute. Authors of the report dismissed the notion that unequal medical treatment is the result of biased physicians during a forum at the conservative Washington research organization. But health care policy experts who attended the forum did not readily accept that analysis. Read more »
The American Medical Association (AMA) has not agreed to a "pay for performance" system without accompanying changes in Medicare reimbursement, the AMA's chairman has told specialty physicians. In a letter sent to seven medical specialty groups who criticized an agreement AMA Chairman Duane M. Cady struck with Hill leaders in December, Cady said the accord focuses on the development of a physician voluntary reporting program and additional payments to physicians who report such information in 2007. While many physician groups say they support quality measures and pay for performance—which links payment to the quality of care provided—they say Congress must move cautiously because one set of quality measures will not work for all medical specialties. Read more »
Although health was the theme of the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, the issue didn't carry the legislative weight it did a year ago when state executives were pushing Congress to make controversial revisions to the Medicaid program. Instead, the focus was on helping states take advantage of those recently legislated revisions, and on fostering "wellness initiatives" around the United States. Read more »
"Report cards" that rate quality of health care may be giving grades that are too high, says a new study by the Rand Corporation. Examining actual medical records for 399 patients, the study found that 55 percent of them received recommended care, while the administrative data showed that 83 percent did. Moving to computerized medical records would help ensure more accurate grading that could be carried out efficiently, researchers concluded. Read more »
The health care spending projections unveiled by government economists are mostly unspectacular—but are a testament to the way that unspectacular increases can produce an eye-catching result if they persist over time. For the most part, yearly percentage increases in various types of health spending are well shy of double-digit figures. But even so, health care will consume 20 percent of the gross domestic product a decade from now, up from 16 percent, according to projections released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Read more »
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the number of Medicare beneficiaries who have signed up individually for the new Medicare drug benefit has grown by 1.5 million in the past 30 days. Most of the 25.4 million beneficiaries already had drug coverage before the drug benefit began, but their prescription benefits are now subsidized by the Medicare program. HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt said that the 25.4 million figure means HHS is well on its way toward meeting its first year goal of enrolling 28 million to 30 million Medicare beneficiaries in the drug benefit. The liberal advocacy group Families USA said the new numbers are misleading and that most beneficiaries had drug coverage that was "at least as good" before they signed up for the Medicare program. Read more »