Reference Pricing — Coming soon to a health plan near you?

There is great interest in reference pricing in the US for select medical procedures and branded drugs. While only 10% of mid-sized and large employers are utilizing reference pricing, more than 2/3 of employers have an interest in this payment technique. If it takes hold, there is a potential impact on utilization, revenue and quality of care that manufacturers will need to address.

Here is What MedSpan Research Has Been Up To and Learning: Our Tri-Weekly Newsletter

Recently, a Modern Healthcare survey determined that a majority of healthcare CEOs supported the transition from Fee-For-Service to Value-Based Compensation. However, their time frame of transition varies. Read our blog entry for more on this subject.

American Healthcare Consumers’ Opinions Regarding Healthcare Depends on the Questions Asked

American Consumers’ Opinion Regarding the Affordable Care Act and the Individual Mandate that Would Charge Each Person for Not Obtaining Health Insurance Depends on the Understanding of the Question Being Asked.

A Controversial Topic- End of Life Cost of Care Reduced in Hospice

On average, hospice saves $8,700 (12%) in cost of care per patient during the last year of life. Hospice reduces the need for hospitalizations and intensive care unit stays.

Compensation Specialists Via Episodic Payments Lowers the Cost of Care, According to Study

Compensating oncologists via episodic payments lowers the cost of care significantly compared to FFS payment.