A Lesson in Healthcare Data Distrust, Brought to Us By Aetna
The importance of trust in healthcare cannot be overestimated. Trust underpins peoples’ health engagement. Trust eroded repels people from seeking necessary health care services. So what do we make of Aetna’s appalling breach of patient privacy when the health insurer, whose 23 million members sign HIPAA agreements, sent a letter to some 12,000 members who are managing HIV….and the envelope in which these letters were mailed had a glassine window that exhibited the advisory showing the words, “The purpose of this letter is to advise you of the options…Aetna health plan when filling prescriptions for HIV Medic….members can use a
Patients’ Healthcare Payment Problems Are Providers’, Too
Three-quarters of patients’ decisions on whether to seek services from healthcare providers are impacted by high deductible health plans. This impacts the finances of both patients and providers: 56% of patients’ payments to healthcare providers are delayed some of the time, noted in Optimizing Revenue: Solving Healthcare’s Revenue Cycle Challenges Using Technology Enabled Communications, published today by West. Underneath that 56% of patients delaying payments, 12% say they “always delay” payment, and 16% say they “frequently delay” payment. West engaged Kelton Global to survey 1,010 U.S. adults 18 and over along with 236 healthcare providers to gauge their experiences with
A Couple Retiring Today Will Need $275,000 For Health Care Expenses
A 65-year-old couple in America, retiring in 2017, will need to have saved $275,000 to cover their health and medical costs in retirement. This represents a $15,000 (5.8%) increase from last year’s number of $260,000, according to the annual retirement healthcare cost study from Fidelity Investments. This number does not include long-term care costs — only medical and health care spending. Here’s a link to my take on last year’s Fidelity healthcare retirement cost study: Health Care Costs in Retirement Will Run $260K If You’re Retiring This Year. Note that the 2016 cost was also $15,000 greater than the retirement healthcare costs calculated
Women’s Access to Health Care Improved Under the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACT) was implemented in 2010. Since the inception of the ACA, the proportion of uninsured women in the U.S. fell by nearly one-half, from 19 million in 2010 to 11 million in 2016. The Commonwealth Fund has documented the healthcare gains that American women made since the ACA launch in their issue brief, How the Affordable Care Act Has Helped Women Gain Insurance and Improved Their Ability to Get Health Care, published earlier this month. The first chart talks about insurance: health care plan coverage, which is the prime raison d’être of the ACA. It’s
Loneliness and Isolation Kill: Health Depends on Purpose
In the U.S., one-third of people age 65 and over have difficulty walking 3 city blocks. Hold that thought, and consider the role of purpose in life: purpose drives well-being, inoculating one’s life with meaning, direction, and goals, as the On Purpose guru Victor Strecher explains in his amazing graphic manifesto. Having a higher sense of purpose in life is associated with higher probability of people engaging in healthier behaviors, such as greater physical activity and seeking preventive healthcare; better biological functioning; and, lower risk of disease. Four researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health connected the dots between
Healthcare Quality and Access Disparities Persist in the U.S.
In 2015, poor and low-income people in America had worse health care than high-income households; care for nearly half of the middle-class was also worse than for wealthier families. Welcome to the 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report assesses many measures quantifying peoples’ access to health care, such as uninsurance rates (which improved between 2010 and 2016), and quality of health care — including person-centered care, patient safety, healthy living, effective treatment, care coordination, and care affordability. While some disparities lessened between 2000 and 2015, disparities
The Digital Gap in Health Consumer/Patient Experience
9 in 10 hospitals and health systems prioritize improving the consumer/patient experience, but only 30% of providers are building these capabilities. This consumer experience gap was found by Kaufman Hall in their survey research published in the report, 2017 State of Consumerism in Healthcare: Slow Progress in Fast Times. Digital health innovations will play big roles in supporting that consumer health experience for most health providers: 58% prioritize offering digital tool and information for consumer engagement, and 56% of providers look to develop a range of virtual/telehealth access points. But it appears that while healthcare providers’ spirits are willing, their flesh
Most Americans, Including Republicans, Want President Trump’s Administration to Make the ACA Work – Not Fail
8 in 10 Americans want President Trump and his administration to do what they can to make the Affordable Care Act work, according to the latest August 2017 health tracking poll from Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). By political party affiliation, this includes 95% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans (that is, to emphasize the point, just over half, a majority, of Republicans). More Americans are also relieved and happy, versus disappointed and angry, that the ACA repeal did not occur (thus far), the second chart illustrates. To be sure, a majority of Republicans register anger and disappointment,
Cost and Personalization Are Key For Health Consumers Who Shop for Health Plans
Between 2012 and 2017, the number of US consumers who shopped online for health insurance grew by three times, from 14% to 42%, according to a survey from Connecture. Cost first, then “keeping my doctor,” are the two top considerations when shopping for health insurance. 71% of consumers would consider switching their doctor(s) to save on plan costs. Beyond clinician cost, health plans shoppers are also concerned with prescription drug costs in supporting their decisions. 80% of consumers would be willing to talk with their doctors about prescription drug alternatives, looking for a balance between convenience
Employer Health Benefits Stable In the Midst of Uncertain Health Politics
As we look for signs of stability in U.S. health care, there’s one stakeholder that’s holding firm: employers providing healthcare benefits. Two studies out this week demonstrate companies’ commitment to sponsoring health insurance benefits….with continued tweaks to benefit design that nudges workers toward healthier behaviors, lower cost-settings, and greater cost-sharing. As Julie Stone, senior benefits consultant with Willis Towers Watson (WLTW), noted, “The extent of uncertainty in Washington has made people reluctant to make changes to their benefit programs without knowing what’s happening. They’re taking a wait-and-see attitude.” First, the Willis Towers Watson 22nd annual Best Practices in Health Care Employer
Price-Shopping for Healthcare Still A Heavy Lift for Consumers
Most U.S. consumers support the idea of price-shopping for healthcare, but don’t practice it. While patients “should” shop for health care and perceive differences in costs across providers, few seek information about their personal out-of-pocket costs before getting treatment. Few Americans shop around for health care, even when insured under a high-deductible health plan, conclude Ateev Mehrotra and colleagues in their research paper, Americans Support Price Shopping For Health Care, But Few Actually Seek Out Price Information. The article is published in Health Affairs‘ August 2017 issue. The bar chart shows some of the survey results, with the top-line finding
Patients Want Doctors To Know How Much Their Drugs Cost
Patients want their doctors to know what their personal costs for medicines are; 42% of patients also believe their doctor is aware of how much they spend on prescription drugs. However, 61% of these people have not talked with doctors about drug prices. Nor do most doctors have access to this kind of information at the individual patient level. One important tactic to addressing overall healthcare costs, and managing the prescription drug line item in those costs, is discussed in Doctors and Pharmacists: An Underused Resource to Manage Drug Costs for Older Adults, a report on a survey sponsored
Learning From Adam Niskar – Living Beyond The Wheelchair
After diving into Walnut Lake in suburban Detroit, Adam Niskar sustained a spinal injury that would paralyze much of his body for the rest of his life. The trauma didn’t paralyze his life and living, though. But today, my family will celebrate that life at Adam’s memorial service. Adam was my cousin. He was one of the best-loved people on the planet, and that was part of a therapeutic recipe that sustained him from the traumatic accident in 1999 until Monday, July 31st, 2017, when Adam passed away from complications due to an infection that, this time around, his body
I'm in amazing company here with other #digitalhealth innovators, thinkers and doers. Thank you to Cristian Cortez Fernandez and Zallud for this recognition; I'm grateful.
Jane was named as a member of the AHIP 2024 Advisory Board, joining some valued colleagues to prepare for the challenges and opportunities facing health plans, systems, and other industry stakeholders. Looking forward to AHIP 2024 in Las Vegas come June 11-13, 2024.
Join Jane at AHIP's annual meeting in Las Vegas: I'll be speaking, moderating a panel, and providing thought leadership on health consumers and bolstering equity, empowerment, and self-care.