http://community.changenow4health.com The community Weblog for Helping Consumers Make Smarter Health Care Decisions daily 1 2008-02-28T18:30:23Z http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/maggie-mahar-201crunaway-health-care-inflation-is 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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-06-27T15:10:09Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/electronic-medical-records-doa 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? No publisher fjohnmar 2008-06-19T19:40:37Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/an-idea-from-the-community-pay-for-hospitals2019 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? No publisher fjohnmar 2008-06-11T15:33:33Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/as-massachusetts-universal-healthcare-plan 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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-06-05T16:27:56Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/what-role-does-faith-play-in-consumer-driven Faith is a major component of many Americans' lives. Given this, what role should it play in consumer-driven healthcare? No publisher fjohnmar Faith Consumerism 2008-05-13T13:58:09Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/new-law-could-open-genetic-testing-floodgates-but 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? No publisher fjohnmar Consumerism Genetics 2008-05-02T18:26:50Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-04-24T21:33:09Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/can-predictably-irrational-people-make-rational 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? No publisher fjohnmar Consumerism 2008-04-11T17:12:13Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/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? No publisher fjohnmar Hospital Errors Consumerism 2008-04-03T20:38:50Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/brian-klepper-on-the-consumerism-myth Is consumerism a myth? New data leads one commentator to take a controversial position on this topic. No publisher fjohnmar Consumerism 2008-03-26T14:50:42Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/mayo-clinic-survey-reveals-americans-healthcare 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. No publisher fjohnmar Health Costs 2008-03-11T15:07:44Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/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? No publisher fjohnmar Consumerism Healthy Behaviors 2008-03-05T17:57:19Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/greg-scandlen-consumers-need-to-take-the-reigns-of 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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-02-29T16:46:42Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/as-google-forges-ahead-with-personal-health 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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-02-21T17:19:00Z News Item http://community.changenow4health.com/blogs/smarter/blog/choice-responsibility-designing-a-health-system 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. No publisher fjohnmar 2008-02-11T16:07:33Z News Item