Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Upcoding Linked to Up to Two-Thirds of Payment Growth

Upcoding Linked to Up to Two-Thirds of Growth in Highest-Intensity Hospital Discharges in 5 States, 2011–19, Health Affairs This is an abstract as I did not have access to the research article by Health Affairs. Besides the numerics also consider this is only for 5 states. Just something to be aware of and the magnitude […]

Caps and Budgets

Here’s a program to limit out-of-pocket costs and insurer overreach: Put a cap on household spending and put providers on a budget. The ‘skin in the game’ gambit has failed – by Merrill Goozner GoozNews Online vitriol isn’t pretty. But the mass schadenfreude that greeted the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while cruel […]

Health Insurance Again and This Time with Krugman

If one were to attack real-spending as an issue to our economy and wish to lower spending, one of the places to look is commercial healthcare insurance. If I were the richest jumping -jack in the world, I would target Medicare Advantage which is paid extra to provide fundamental healthcare and up codes the service […]

Latest Respiratory Healthcare Issues Impacting the US before Christmas

r. j. sigmund sent Angry Bear a recent US healthcare updated report on what is impacting the US before Christmas. Good idea to take precautions and be aware of occurrences. Something to keep in mind while traveling for Christmas. Take precautions. Illnesses caused by respiratory viruses increase in US  Ahead of the Christmas holiday week, […]

Why does Louisiana hate America?

This is just absurd. “As first reported by NPR, the state health department informed its employees that they were not allowed to promote COVID, influenza, or mpox vaccines. The directive, which department officials said they would not put into writing, related to all aspects of public health employees’ jobs: employees could not send out press […]

HHS Announces Cost Savings for 64 Prescription Drugs

So much accomplished with 64 Prescription Drugs by the Biden Administration. So much potential for dismantling these accomplishments by the incoming Trump administration. More discounted drugs. Also, a plan to counter increasing prices increasing faster than inflation. Companies will pay back to Medicare the additional costs. HHS Announces Cost Savings for 64 Prescription Drugs Thanks […]

I told you (and Ezra Klein) so

Many people including Richard S. Foster of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. and Ezra Klein predicted that the Affordable Care Act’s efforts to reduce Medicare outlays by squeezing providers would not work, because providers could opt out. I said they were wrong (fourth link here). Doctors with office practices can and do opt […]

US Healthcare Spending 2023

Two different and closely matching explanation of healthcare spending in 2023. One in writing and the other pictorial. The latter is easily explained by itself and also with the written explanation. Increases in cost for Medicare are mostly due the commercial Medicare Advantage. The outcomes of which are no better and can be worst. U.S. […]