By Jeff Lagasse; Healthcare Finance ~ Mar 19, 2018
In 2016, the U.S. spent nearly twice as much as other high-income countries on healthcare, yet had poorer population health outcomes, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The major drivers of high healthcare costs in the U.S. appear to be higher prices for nearly everything — from physician and hospital services to diagnostic tests to pharmaceuticals — and administrative complexity.
By Mae Anderson; The Associated Press ~ Mar 16, 2018
NEW YORK (AP) — On Monday, AT&T squares off against the federal government in a trial that could shape how you get — and how much you pay for — streaming TV and movies.
AT&T says it needs to gobble up Time Warner if it’s to have a chance against the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Google in the rapidly evolving world of video entertainment.
The Trump administration has sued to block AT&T’s $85 billion takeover of CNN-owned Time Warner. The trial starts March 21. Here’s what you need to know.
By Edmund Lee; Recode ~ Mar 16, 2018
AT&T and Time Warner plan to merge in a $85 billion deal that would unite one of the largest distributors of content with one of the biggest producers of content, a roster that includes hits like HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” the Harry Potter films and major cable franchises like CNN.
But not if the Justice Department has its way. The U.S. government has sued to block the deal, a move that some fret is actually political reprisal for CNN’s reporting on President Trump. The trial begins on Wednesday, March 21.
By Mari Silbey; Light Reading ~ Mar 12, 2018
Not one to mince words, AT&T has submitted a pre-trial brief laying out its arguments against the federal government in the lawsuit that has the Department of Justice seeking to block the telecom operator’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner. With court proceedings set to begin next Monday, AT&T makes the case that “there is no fact-based evidence” that a merger with Time Warner would harm competition in the video marketplace.
By Peter Finch; The New York Times ~ Mar 09, 2018
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt has it all figured out. With their three children grown and out of their New Jersey home, she and her husband, William, will move into a full-service retirement community this year. It will be someplace “interesting and affordable,” in her words, and, ideally, dry in the summer. “I don’t like humidity,” she said.
By Zachary Tracer; Bloomberg ~ Mar 08, 2018
Walmart experimenting with buying directly from care providers
If successful, move could cut out middlemen that drive costs
Cigna to Buy Express Scripts in $67B Deal
Video I could not capture…..
Amazon.com Inc. says it wants to remake health care for its workers. But its biggest rival is beating it to the punch.
Walmart Inc., the largest private employer in the U.S., has been buying health care for its workers directly from providers in six different regions — bypassing insurers who usually negotiate with doctors and hospitals.
By Rajiv Leventhal; Healthcare Informatics ~ Mar 08, 2018
Speaking at the AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) National Health Policy Conference, Alex Azar, HHS (the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) Secretary, gave a keynote in which he spoke about the administration’s desire to accelerate value-based transformation, and create a true market for healthcare.
From Carol Levine, NA; Forbes ~ Mar 06, 2018
In these days of instant electronic communication, it is easy to forget that important information sometimes arrives the old-fashioned way — via the U.S. Postal Service. If you are a family caregiver of an older adult, it’s vital you take note of one piece of mail amid what may be a deluge of junk.
By Joyce Frieden; MedPage Today ~ Mar 06, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration launched a program Tuesday aimed at giving patients more control over their own healthcare records.
The initiative, called MyHealthEData, “will help to break down the barriers that prevent patients from having electronic access and true control of their own health records from the device or application of their choice,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a press release.
From HealthDay News; United Press International ~ Mar 06, 2018
TUESDAY, March 6, 2018 — Few older Americans believe ordering more tests and drugs is the way to better health care, a new survey finds.
Of the more than 2,000 respondents aged 50 to 80, just 14 percent thought that “more is better,” according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging.
In fact, 54 percent said they believe that health care providers often recommend tests, medications or procedures that patients don’t really need. For instance: