Smarter Health Care Decisions Community Blog

What Role Does Faith Play In Consumer-Driven Healthcare?

Faith is a major component of many Americans' lives. Given this, what role should it play in consumer-driven healthcare?

New Law Could Open Genetic Testing Floodgates, But At What Cost?

Congress passed a law making it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to people seeking individual policies based on their genetic test results. This ruling make genetic testing more widespread, but what will be the consequences?

Your Health Reform Ideas: Keep Them Coming!

We have been receiving lots of great ideas since the Innovation xChange was announced earlier this week. We express our appreciation and invite community feedback on an intriguing idea.

Can Predictably Irrational People Make Rational Health Decisions?

Traditional economic theory suggests that people are hard-wired to make "rational decisions." We know this isn't the case -- especially when it comes to health. Given this, how do we encourage predictably irrational people to make rational health decisions?

An All-Out Assault On Hospital Errors

The celebrity spotlight is on hospital errors. However, will this be enough to break the culture of silence associated with them?

Brian Klepper On The Consumerism Myth

Is consumerism a myth? New data leads one commentator to take a controversial position on this topic.

Mayo Clinic Survey Reveals Americans' Healthcare Eyes Are Bigger Than Their Stomachs

A new study indicates Americans are concerned about rising health expenditures, but are not willing to make financial or medical sacrifices (i.e., rationing) to get there.

Live Longer, But Cost The System More Money

A surprising study published in February indicates that healthy people cost the health system more money. Will this finding damage efforts to get people to engage in healthy behaviors and take control of their own care?

Greg Scandlen: Consumers Need To Take The Reigns Of The Health System

Greg Scandlen, head of Consumers for Health Care Choices has, some choice words for insurance companies and government and believes consumers need to take full control of the US health system.

As Google Forges Ahead With Personal Health Records, Some Wonder If Tech Giants Can Be Trusted With Personal Health Info

Today the Cleveland Clinic announced that some patients have agreed to let Google store their personal health information. With technology companies entering the health industry more aggressively, some wonder if they can be trusted -- especially because they are often not covered by existing privacy regulations.

Choice & Responsibility: Designing A Health System Using The 401K Playbook

Community member Richard A Matthews offers a well-considered remedy for our sick healthcare system. His prescription: a healthy dose of choice and personal responsibility. What do you think of his proposal? Learn more and tell us what you think.

Industry Players Busy Building Infrastructure For Consumerism

Recently health insurance firms have been looking for ways to integrate health savings accounts with financial institutions' offerings. This may lead to broader acceptance of consumer-driven health plans.

Discussing An Interesting Idea From The Community: Linking Behavior To Health Premiums

A member of the ChangeNow4Heatlh online community suggests that one way to improve health while reducing costs is to link insurance premiums to behavior.

What Does A Mail Company Have To Say About Health?

Corporate blog sheds light into how one large corporation thinks about health. Unsurprisingly, it's all about the individual.

Parsing The Sarkisyan Case: “They Want Healthcare That’s Always There”

Natalie Sarkisyan's death has become a major presidential campaign issue. This case is complicated, but boils down to this: When it comes to healthcare, Americans are afraid. Can and should consumerism play a role in giving people peace of mind?

Value-Based Insurance Design: Does It Push Consumers Out Of The Healthcare Equation?

Value-Based Insurance Design: Cutting co-pays for "high-quality" procedures and medications sounds like a great idea, but does it crowd out the consumer?

Battle Between Diabetes Patient & ADA Chief Highlights Gulf Between Progress & Available Resources

Pro-technology diabetes patient advocates want access to the latest medical wizardry, but ADA chief warns: "all that glitters is not gold." How do we prepare consumers to evaluate the value of technology in an era where resources are becoming increasingly scarce?

Individual Mandates In Massachusetts: It's Cheaper To Pay The Fine

Massachusetts is urging residents to enroll in a health insurance plan or pay a fine. Right now, it's cheaper to pay up. Does this bode well for the Bay State's great individual mandate experiment?

Getting Guidance On The Doctor-Patient Conversation

A raft of advocacy organizations, physicians and others are helping patients communicate better with doctors.

If They Aren’t Financially Literate, They Won’t Succeed

According to Jump$tart, the average high school student is woefully financially illiterate. If people can't even balance a checkbook, can we expect them to manage an HSA? If so, we need to figure out how to address this problem.