Just in case there was any doubt about AI being used to inflate health care bills. Got this just now after my annual preventive visit had an extra charge.
Blake Hutson retweeted
In other words, both the No Surprises Act and the Inflation Reduction Act cost significantly more than the official projections indicated.
Neither appears to be delivering the cost-containment supporters claimed.
Insurer vertical integration "has also been found to lead to more efficient care provision in the commercial market." ... "the acquisition improved efficiency in the commercial market by increasing referrals to less expensive specialists"
so saving $$$ for employers/patients.
The Health Care Affordability Lab @Yale is out with a new assessment of vertical integration in health care. Their findings:
1. Hospital acquisitions of physician practices lead to higher prices and less competition with little evidence of clinical quality improvements.
2. Insurer acquisitions of providers can enable MLR gaming, along with anticompetitive effects
3. Insurer-PBM-pharmacy integration raises rivals’ costs and enables regulatory gaming in Medicare Part D
Time to break up the monopolies!
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marks up the drug 4,000%, blames the insurer, classic
American Pharmacy Worker gives a behind the scenes look at our healthcare system
He shows a medication costs less than $4 to dispense
Since the patient has insurance, the insurance company makes them charge $97
US Health Insurance companies should be prosecuted
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Blake Hutson retweeted
“Health plans and employers who provide insurance coverage are stuck between a rock and a hard place—either accept hospitals' outrageous price increases or risk patients losing access to care.” @darbin_w thirdway.org/report/stop-hos…
Blake Hutson retweeted
Texas Association of Health Plans' recommendations to the Senate included improving the state's use of data-driven ("ex-parte") renewals in Medicaid.
It's a smart way to cut down on paperwork and help folks get health coverage if they are already eligible #TXlege
Clear theme from witnesses in the Texas Senate hearing today: Health insurance plays a key role in helping Texans get health care.
That's why we need the #TXlege to work on connecting more Texans with health coverage — including folks who are eligible but unenrolled.
Bipartisan solutions
Thanks to bipartisan #SB1296 by @NathanForTexas and @TomOliverson, Texas consumers have one of the best ACA Marketplaces to choose from. @charles_gaba analysis shows that 82% of Texas enrollees have Gold or better coverage!
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Drug companies want to secure formulary placement, avoid competition, and mask the real cost from the patient. Copay coupons are just one part of that scheme. #txlege
Absolutely Charles…drug companies love discount cards/programs because it allows them to charge payers higher prices while the patient is none the wiser.
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Excellent bill. Expand it to all drugs next session! These patent gimmicks have no place in Texas.
When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I paid $684 for my first 30-day supply of insulin.
That's because Big Pharma has manipulated the insulin market to drive up prices.
Senator Perry and I just passed bipartisan legislation to crack down on insulin price gouging. #txlege
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Bad news, two bills in the #txlege would stop efforts to address this kind of abusive billing. Good news is those bills are fixable.
A good look at how dramatically provider upcoding across services continues to grow:
healthsystemtracker.org/brie…
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According to @KHN, this group now operates 400 gastro clinics in Texas. That's the kind of consolidation that we know leads to higher prices and anti-competitive behavior. 5/
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The #txlege should take action to require transparency in ownership (private equity takeover), prohibit anti-competitive behavior, and an end to hidden fees. This has gotten way out of control. 6/
“Doctors in Arizona are trying to rewrite the surprise billing law to boost their own pay” #shameless #txlege
Have to imagine a ballot initiative to make the rich & some private equity firms a little richer at the expense of patients would be a tough sell directly to voters
statnews.com/2022/06/01/doct…
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Love the practice of medicine but the business of medicine is ugly. #txlege #followthemoney
The most amazing thing I watched last session was Texas Oncology, which is owned by US Oncology, which is owned by McKesson, push a mandate bill that would require Texas employers pay these “marked up” rates. A state mandate that rewards price gouging jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…
Blake Hutson retweeted
The evidence against his Big Pharma price gouging tactic just continues to grow: axios.com/drug-copay-cards-r…
When you build a business strategy off of out-of-network surprise billing it’s destined for failure. Don’t feel bad for the private equity folks that started this but lots of formerly small doc groups are also along for the ride. prospect.org/health/envision…
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Yikes! “Bad Envision, now left holding the debt, will need to engage in drastic cost-cutting to service debt and staveoff bankruptcy. Even without the specter of bankruptcy, Envision physicians are under pressure to meet corporate performance metrics.” #txlege
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