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The Wrong Way and the Right Way to Frame PHR Privacy/Confidentiality Issues
 Vince Kuraitis and David C. Kibbe, MD MBAÂ
During the past week two reports were released discussing privacy/confidentiality issues surrounding PHRs. One of these reports did it the wrong way; one did it the right way.
The general public is just learning about Personal Health Records (PHRs). We believe that the appropriate way to frame the dialogue for the public is to acknowledge both the benefits and risks:
Benefits: PHRs (and EHRs) have the potential to save lives, reduce medical errors, improve patient […]
Latest Edition of the Health Wonk Review at GoozNews
The latest edition of the Health Wonk Review is up at Merrill Goozner’s blog, GoozNews. Merrill, who has worked as an investigative reporter and freelance journalist, brings a fresh, common-sense perspective to his writing. Check it out.
Medicare Health Support: “Do not go gentle into that good night”
Vince Kuraitis and Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light”
Dylan Thomas
  Â
Despite CMS’ recent cocktail hour pronouncement that Medicare Health Support (MHS) is on its last legs, many are fighting to prolong its life.
Recent Developments
DMAA is working with Sen. John Kerry to introduce legislation mandating the continuation of Medicare Health Support (MHS). Dr. Jaan Sidorov’s Disease Management Care Blog reprints the full announcement from the February 12 issue of […]
The Medical Home: Advancing, But Still Many Questions
Paul Keckley and colleagues at the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions have released an important contribution to advance the dialog about the medical home (MH). It’s entitled The Medical Home: Disruptive Innovation for a New Primary Care Model. The report offers a strategic perspective on the potential for the MH to address the challenge of chronic care management.
The biggest single contribution of this report is to create a back-of-the-envelope (BOTE) economic model of anticipated costs and benefits from implementing the medical home. […]
HealthSpring “Gets” Physician Engagement.
I’ve written a lot recently about Medicare Health Support (MHS). We are learning a lot from MHS about what DOESN’T work with the frail, elderly Medicare population.
But, what DOES work?
One key lesson emerging from MHS is the need to integrate and engage physicians and other local care providers…easier said than done.
Guest Post: The CMS Announcement Of Medicare Health Support Program Cancellation — What It Means For Buyers
by Al Lewis, JD
Add the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the growing list of people and organizations who cannot find financial savings through disease management. Weeks after “lowering the bar” on MHS program savings requirements to 0% from 5%, CMS cancelled the program altogether due to the unlikelihood that the much-reduced threshold for savings would be achieved in the remaining months of the three-year measurement period.
Yet even as CMS’ conclusion mirrors that of the Congressional Budget Office, and the RAND Corporation, other organizations and […]
Insufficient Evidence to End Medicare Health Support
Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH and Vince Kuraitis
Last Tuesday during the cocktail hour, CMS issued documents portending the end of the Medicare Health Support (MHS) project. Â
We initially used the word “bizarre” to describe the announcement from CMS’ staff. After further thought, “reckless” and/or “insubordinate” strike closer to home.
First, let’s have the head-honcho at CMS instruct us on how things should be done. In September 2007 Kerry Weems, the new CMS Administrator, declared that “cocktail hour press releases” from his agency […]
$389 M of Healthways’ Market Value Vaporizes After CMS Announcement. What Happened?
Healthways stock price declined today by $10.52 (15.9%) after CMS “announcement” about ending Medicare Health Support (MHS) Phase 1. This equates to a loss of $389 million in market capitalization…poof! Gone. Healthways is one of the remaining five participants in the MHS program.
Without pointing fingers, it’s obvious that investors were surprised by the news.  What happened?
CMS: “Rumors of Medicare Health Support’s Death Have Not Been Greatly Exaggerated”
Vince Kuraitis and Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH
Today’s POO (persistent obfuscatory orations) Award goes to the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) for their posting of two bizarre documents updating progress on the Medicare Health Support (MHS) program. The documents “appeared” (no press release, no announcement, a reference to “today” but no date) on the web page for the MHS demonstration project.
While a casual reader would probably review these documents and scratch their head, we interpret them as a death knell for the Medicare Health Support […]
Health Wonk Review at e-CareManagement
Welcome!
Since this is my first time hosting the Health Wonk Review, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I have to say that I’ve learned a lot while poring over the insight and wisdom of my fellow bloggers. Fortunately, this week’s entries fell into neat categories:
In-Store Clinics
Physicians
Problems — U.S. & World Health Systems
Solutions — U.S. & World Health Systems
Cats, Dogs and Kangaroos
Just in case that last category, doesn’t look too familiar, let’s revisit the whole point of the Health Wonk Review:
Health Wonk […]