Jennifer Salopek over at Wing of Zock says the latest edition of Health Wonk Review is all about taking a break to read a little health policy. (Wait? There people out there who don’t follow health policy 24/7?)
Anyway, the Spring Break theme makes sense to us for another reason. It seems like there’s finally a lull in the non-stop coverage of King v. Burwell and Obamacare “repeal and replace” efforts. This week’s edition has just one post about repeal efforts and nothing about the SCOTUS case!
In case our bias isn’t crystal clear – we actually love the Obamacare stuff. So here’s what we found most juicy in this week’s HWR:
- At Colorado Health Insurance Insider, Louise Norris a really great assessment of what will happen as grandmothered health plans are phased out.
- Writing at Health Access Blog, Anthony Wright has a beautiful overview of the individual mandate’s history. A great read.
- Right here on healthinsurance.org, former Blue Shield of California executive Michael Johnson guest-posted a great explanation of what happened with his former employer’s tax-exempt status and what Johnson thinks needs to happen next.
- Jason Shafrin over at Healthcare Economist explains Medicare’s Next Generation ACO program and how it might improve on two other versions of the accountable care organization (ACO) concept that Shafrin says have generated limited cost savings.
- Peggy Salvatore at Health System Ed and David Harlow at HealthBlawg have pieces about the latest on meaningful use and electronic health records and why we should pay attention.
- Brad Wright continues his series of posts about the Burr-Hatch-Upton proposal, weighing in the proposal’s provision that would turn Medicaid into a block grant.
There’s much more in this edition that’s you should also check out, including a look at the sustainable growth rate legislation moving – yes, actually moving – through Congress, and some exciting news at InsureBlog about a game-changing Alzheimer’s treatment. Over at Health Care Renewal, Roy Poses has some thoughts about why it’s time to “restore leadership of health care to people who actually understand health care.”
David Williams at Health Business Blog explains why the pricing of Gilead’s Sovaldi medication for Hepatitis C is a “textbook example of price discrimination in action.” Charles Roehrig, posting at Health Affairs explains “What Is Behind The Post-Recession Bend In The Health Care Cost Curve?” And Julie Ferguson at Workers’ Comp Insider looks at what we’ve learned in the 10 years since a BP refinery explosion that killed 15 in Texas City.
Next up for HWR? Joe Paduda hosts HWR over at Managed Care Matters on April 23. See you then.