What is “Value” in Health Care?
Lisa Rosenbaum wrote a terrific piece in the March 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Her article is a powerful reminder that views of medical appropriateness—what is “right” in health care—can be very different for physicians, patients, and analysts. She highlights the challenges inherent in a system of incentives that reward “value” without taking into account these …
Read more >United Press International: Better access to doctors in Michigan
Newswire service United Press International publishes a story on CHRT’s survey that shows Michigan Medicaid recipients report having an easier time accessing primary and specialty care in 2012 compared to 2010.
Read more >The Bitter Pill: Time Magazine’s Story on Health Care Costs
Steven Brill’s article on health care costs in the March 4 issue of Time magazine is the talk of the town in health care. While journalists have generally praised the piece, reactions from those in health care have been mixed. The American Hospital Association critiqued a number of Brill’s major points in a fact sheet, Setting the Record Straight on …
Read more >Detroit Free Press: Will a Henry Ford-Beaumont megamerger be a benefit to the community?
In this examination of the $6.4-billion merger of the Henry Ford and Beaumont health systems, CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips discusses incentives and cost-containment mechanisms in the Affordable Care Act that may be leading some hospitals to consider potential mergers.
Read more >Detroit Free Press: U.S. to administer Web health marketplace
CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips explains what federally-run health insurance exchanges mean for consumers after state lawmakers likely guaranteed Michigan will miss out on a state/federal partnership.
Read more >The Lucy Ann Lance Show: Medicaid impact on primary care physicians
CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips joins Lucy Ann Lance live on-air to discuss results from CHRT’s two most recently published surveys—the first in the Cover Michigan Survey 2013 series that examined access to health care and a survey of Michigan’s primary care providers.
Read more >More than 90% of surveyed Michigan Medicaid recipients reported easier access to primary care in 2012
Survey results released today by the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) show that Michigan Medicaid recipients said that they found it easier to get primary and specialty care appointments in 2012 than they did in 2010. In fact, their level of reported ease was comparable to those with employer‐sponsored coverage. In the survey of 1,018 Michigan adults, more …
Read more >The Slowdown in Health Care Costs: Is it Real?
On February 5, 2013, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director Douglas Elmendorf testified before Congress on the CBO’s budget outlook for 2013-2023. As reported in the New York Times and elsewhere, the health care outlook was remarkable: projected Medicare and Medicaid spending for 2020 was down 15 percent over projections made three years ago. Specifically, the CBO noted “net outlays for …
Read more >Crain's Detroit Business: Coping with health reform: Massachusetts biz leaders offer advice to Michigan execs
Crain’s Detroit Business highlights the key messages from Massachusetts business leaders to their Michigan counterparts during a CHRT-sponsored event, including clarification that the Massachusetts business community is “not crazy” for supporting health care reform and the individual mandate. (Free online subscription required to view full text)
Read more >Positive Steps Towards Improving Quality and Reducing Costs
Why does health care cost so much more in America than in any other country in the world? One major reason is that our system is really a non-system. That is, in America we have many different payers, financing mechanisms, benefit designs, and structures. Every health plan has its own ways of doing things, and every health purchaser wants a …
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