health care economics

California has a ballot proposal to cap profits by dialysis companies. And by the state's own economic analysis, the effect is unknown. Will it help patients, lower costs; or will it harm patients and return money to insurance companies to use as they wish? No one knows but of the 155 ballot measures nationwide, this one has garnered over 14% of all lobbying spending close to $130 million.
Medical bills are tough to understand, making the transparency of prices an impossible dream for nearly every patient. To give the consumer a better sense of what's behind these bizarre billing practices, here's a common-sense guide.
“At the moment, Careline users who fall at home have to wait for a paramedic to help them. But under the new policy, Careline staff will go to their aid and get the user sitting up and assess the situation before an ambulance is called, in a bid to cut the number of call-outs to falls paramedics receive.”
In the last week, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  initiated a demonstration project involving the bundling of care for two new diagnostic categories. First, acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) – heart attacks including their medical and minimally invasive treatment (coronary artery angioplasty and stents) and second, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) – surgery to improve/restore circulation to the heart arteries. And I should care why?  ... the presumptive new Health and Human Services Secretary is expected to cancel the demonstration, but it is more important to look at the underlying economics CMS envisions because they are the savings part of Obamacare.