Smarter Health Care Decisions Community Blog

Maggie Mahar: “Runaway Health Care Inflation Is The Elephant In The Middle Of The Room” — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jun 27, 2008 03:10 PM

With a significant minority of Americans forgoing needed medical treatment because of cost concerns, health inflation may become a more significant issue for Americans than the uninsured. Maggie Mahar, a noted progressive writer, discusses the merits of a health reform plan that would sharply reign in costs and give consumers responsibility for spending their own health care dollars.

Electronic Medical Records: DOA? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jun 19, 2008 07:40 PM

Cost is a major barrier to widespread physician adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs). What's your take, are EMRs DOA? If so, what will be the impact on consumers?

An Idea From The Community: Pay For Hospitals’ “Standing Costs” — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jun 11, 2008 03:33 PM

As hospital costs continue to rise, one community member diagnosis the problem and offers his prescription: subsidize hospitals’ “standing costs.” Could reducing hospital costs reduce premiums for those with preexisting conditions?

As Massachusetts Universal Healthcare Plan Struggles, Debate Over Consumer-Driven Healthcare Heats Up — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jun 05, 2008 04:27 PM

Massachusetts' ambitious universal healthcare plan has run into a number of problems -- many of them related to costs. In an effort to control expenses, some suggest consumer-driven healthcare may be an answer.

What Role Does Faith Play In Consumer-Driven Healthcare? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified May 13, 2008 01:58 PM

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? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified May 02, 2008 06:26 PM

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! — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Apr 24, 2008 09:33 PM

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? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Apr 11, 2008 05:12 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Apr 03, 2008 08:38 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Mar 26, 2008 02:50 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Mar 11, 2008 03:07 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Mar 05, 2008 05:57 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Feb 29, 2008 04:46 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Feb 21, 2008 05:19 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Feb 11, 2008 04:07 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jan 30, 2008 04:06 PM

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 — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jan 23, 2008 06:13 PM

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? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jan 17, 2008 05:47 PM

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” — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Jan 07, 2008 08:22 PM

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? — by Fard Johnmar — last modified Dec 19, 2007 05:37 PM

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?