Health junction

Now that the furor over the scheduling fiasco at some of the Veterans Administration Health Centers has become tepid this article reviews problems in the V.A. which would not be ameliorated by the private sector, as suggested by some legislators. Fact-There were inordinate delays in patient care at some Veteran�s Health Centers Myth-Treating Veterans in the private sector would improve their care The V.A. has an unusual patient mix, which includes severe combat injuries as well as an aging population of older veterans with chronic disease and often, low incomes. First of all, with the exception of major urban trauma centers, most U.S. hospitals are not ready to treat combat injuries, especially in the mental health and social support areas. Secondarily, the private sector health system in the United States is driven by finance and reimbursement decisions which do not target serving the chronically ill and low income patients. Though the nation now provides health insurance to most of i...

Small Business Insurance Exchange First Year Results-Where Does Your State Stand?                                    Now that first year data for enrollment in Small Business Insurance Exchanges is available, The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health systems research group, sponsored a webinar  for SHOP results. [1] This article reviews nine states which chose to participate in the Small Business Insurance Exchange program, reveals information on enrollment and some surprising innovations for these quasi-governmental insurance marketplaces which was gleaned from that presentation as well as other sources including state legislative sites. Statewide Performance Several states created incentives or mandates for the local insurance industry to participate in the SHOP exchanges. The difference in approach between Mary...

Does Your State Help or Hinder Your Access to Quality Health Care? This article reviews state health care laws impacting clinical care and resourcing in light of the Accountable Care Act and the needs for primary health care. The recent articles in the academic Health Affairs Journal and by the nonprofit advocacy group, The Commonwealth Fund, address the issue of market competition in health care delivery and the impact on services as well as the potential for anti-trust issues. Anti-trust occurs when a single health care entity or a consortium of providers exerts enough control of the market in a given geographic region, to dictate prices, and to be able to perform in an atmosphere where the consumers have fewer choices. In other words, to charge more without offering an improvement in service. Now, with that in mind, some of the state laws that throw a monkey wrench into this idea of a competitive marketplace for health care are; certificate of need requirements, any-willing-provide...