MEDIA COVERAGE (since 2001)

Posted on May 25, 2013 by

Brandon Glenn, Why Aren’t Primary Care Physicians More Ticked Off About The RUC: An Interview With Brian Klepper, Medical Economics, 5/1/13

Jim Knaub, Are You Ready for Intense Price Competition, Radiology Today, September 2012.

Kimberly Morrison, MDI Healthcare Software Predicts Trouble, Bizjournals, 12/16/09.

Dana Blankenhorn, 2010 Will Be the Year of Health Record Implementation, ZDNet, 12/11/09.

Jeremy Cox, Insurance Reimbursement Rates Likely Won’t rise Despite UnitedHealth Settlement, Florida Times-Union, 1/19/09.

Editorial, Expensive Record System, Providence (RI) Journal, 1/17/09.

Dana Blankenhorn, Another Big Win for Checklists, ZDNet, 1/15/09.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, Blog Watch, 1/13/09.

David Hamilton, Electronic Medical Records: A New Backlash, BNET Health Insights, 1/12/09.

Dana Blankenhorn, The Kibbe-Klepper Challenge to Medicine As Usual, 1/08/09.

Dana Blankenhorn, Do the Simple Stuff First is Klepper’s Law, 1/07/09. Analysis: Moving Health IT Beyond EHRs, AHIP Solutions Smartbrief, 1/06/09.

Kimberly Morrison, Job growth in Jacksonville health care providers masks ills, Jacksonville Business Journal,1/02/09.

Lisa Wangsness, Letter Highlights Hurdles in Digitizing Health Records, Boston Globe, 1/01/09.

Dana Blankenhorn, Fixing the Blame on the EHR mess, ZDNet, 1/01/09

Rebecca Ruiz, The Future of Health Care, Forbes, 12/24/08. Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, Blog Watch, 12/16/08. Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, Blog Watch, 11/21/08.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, Blog Watch, 10/31/08 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, Blog Watch, 8/05/08.

Erica Peterson, “Would You Like A Prescription With That?” Medill Reports, Chicago, 5/28/08.

John Dorschner, Crist Seeks Hospital Deregulation, The Miami Herald, 3/03/08.

Editorial Board, “No Solution in Sight,” The Florida Times-Union, 1/3/08.

Editorial Board, “Major Decisions,” The Florida Times-Union, 1/1/08.

Jeremy Smerd, “Workers Opting Out Of Employer Health Coverage,” Financial Week, 12/19/07.

Susan Kelly, “New GM Slogan? Viva the VEBA,” Financial Week, 10/8/07.

Coleen Hawn, “GM’s New Landmark Labor Agreement Still Faces Challenges,” Financial Week, 9/28/07.

Joanne Wojic, Benefits Experts Leery of Clinton Health Plan, Business Insurance, 9/24/07.

Urvaksh Karkaria, “Survey Says Health Insurance Premiums Will Continue to Climb,” Florida Times-Union, 9/12/97.

Carol Gentry, “A Bill of Health That Doesn’t Add Up,” Tampa Tribune, 8/26/07.

Editorial Page, “Find Solutions Now,” Florida Times Union, 8/15/07.

Louise Esola, “Most Presidential Candidates Keep Quiet On Health Care,” Business Insurance, 5/28/07.

Olga Pierce, “Workers Want Health Care From Jobs,” UPI, 4/12/07.

Kaiser Network Health Policy Report, “Medical Service Prices, Provider Payments Could Change as Health Insurers Increasingly Make Cost Data Public,” Kaiser Network.org.

John Dorschner, “High Prices Don’t Translate Into Better Care in South Florida,” Miami Herald, 12/17/06.

Amy Mangan, “Prescription for Reform,” Ocala Style, 11/06.

John Dorschner, “Daunting Data: Hospital Flaws Go Public,” Miami Herald, 10/29/06.

Jeremy Smerd, “Forum to Curb Medical Costs is All Business,” Workforce Management, 10/24/06.

Jeremy Smerd, “Stuck in the Waiting Room,” Workforce Management, 9/25/06.

John Dorschner, “Study: Florida not getting money’s worth in health plans,” Miami Herald, 9/19/06.

John Dorschner, “Inside the ER,” Miami Herald, 8/09/06.

Fred Hiers, “Residents urged to learn about health care,” Ocala Star Banner, 9/16/06. http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060914/NEWS/209140381/1001/NEWS01.

Fierce Healthcare, “Reassessing Health Care Transparency,” 8/17/06, http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/reassessing-healthcare-transparency/2006-08-17

Jerry Lynott, “Group aims to improve health care,” Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times-Leader, 7/27/006, http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/15132660.htm

Jeremy Smerd, “Legislators Reconsider Health Care Mandates After Wal-Mart Bill Is Dismissed,” Workforce Management, 7/21/06.

Urvaksh Karkaria, “Healthcare in the Workplace,” Florida Times-Union, 6/4/06, http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/060406/bus_3281978.shtml

Jerry Geisel, “States Lead The Way On Health Care Reform,” Business Insurance, 5/15/06.

John Dorschner, “New Plans For Small Businesses Launched,” Miami Herald, Bradenton Herald, http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/14554722.htm, 5/11/06

Shari Rudavsky, “Rush is on to Meet Medicare Deadline,” Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article AID=/20060508/NEWS01/605080416, 5/08/06

Len Strazewski, Rx for Savings, Chicago Conscious Choice, 4/06

Richard L. Reece MD, Feeling the Impact: Key Operational Trends in Healthcare Healthleaders News, 4/06/06.

Jeremy Smerd, Massachusetts Health Care Bill Passes With Employer Support, Workforce Management, 4/06/06.

frf.org, Florida Retail Federation Health Care Benefits Report, 11/22/05.

Associated Press, Speakers: Accountability needed to drive down health costs , Caspar Star Tribune, 10/26/05.

Joanne Wocjik, Enrollment Changes Seen As Undermining NCQA Quality Effort, Business Insurance, 10/10/05.

Matthew Holt, The Health Care Blog, Individual Health Insurance, Going Cheap!, 7/07/05

Dave Lindorff, ILCA Online, International Labor Communications Association, Even U.S. Corporations Like Canada’s National Health Plan, 3/28/05.

John Dorschner, Miami Herald, National Attitudes Reflect Rises in Health Costs, 3/24/05.

Benefits News, Center draws diverse interests to reform health system, 1/13/05.

Joanne Wojcik, Business Insurance, United Acquires Definity, 12/25/04.

John Dorschner, Miami Herald, Inside the ER, 8/9/04.

Jerry Geisel, Business Insurance, Urgent Needs of Health System May United Buyers, Providers, 6/14/04.

Pamela DeWitt, HealthLeaders, Blue Card, 4/04.

Russ Pulliam, Indy Star, Innovative Thoughts on Health Care Issues, 3/14/04.

Daniel deVise, Miami Herald, “Insurer Won’t Cover Gastic Bypass,” 3/2/04.

David Royse, Associated Press, “KidCare Funding Among Top Florida Legislative Issues, 2/22/04.

Joanne Wojcic, Business Insurance, “Mandates Targeted to Ease Health Crisis,” 1/26/04.

John Dorschner, Miami Herald, “Prescription for Lower Health Care Costs,” 12/15/03; Indianapolis Star, “Health Care Beckons Reform,” 1/12/04.

Florida Department of Insurance, Draft Report, (Florida) Governor’s Task Force on Access to Affordable Health Insurance, 12/3/03.

Judy Greenwald, Business Insurance, “Deal To Create New HMO Giant,” 11/3/03.

Al Crenshaw, Washington Post, “Mergers are Continuation of Health Care Trend,” 10/28/03.

Joanne Wojcik, Business Insurance, “Patient Safety Survey Participation Grows,” 10/20/03.

John Dorschner, Miami Herald, “Expert: Time for a Change in the System,” 9/23/03.

John Dorschner, Miami Herald, “Why Are Local Health Care Costs Among The Highest In The Nation?” 7/22/03.

Ron Panko, Best Review, Health Emergency, 5/03.

Jay Hein, American Outlook Today (from the Hudson Institute), “To Solve America’s Health Care Crisis, Think Small,” 4/11/03.

Robert Kazel, American Medical News, Washington State Health Plan Starts Tiered Network for Physicians, 3/24/03.

CBS Evening News, Interview on health care liability reform, 1/16/02.

Associated Press, “Bush Renews Calls for Malpractice Caps,” on CBSNews.com, 1/16/02.

George Lundberg and Christina Myers, Thanks to the Peer Reviewers of Medscape General Medicine — April 1999 through October 2002, Medscape General Medicine, 12/19/02.

Milt Freudenheim, Some Tentative First Steps Toward Universal Health Care, NY Times, 12/7/02.

Mark Howard, “Cost Crisis,” Cover Article, Florida Trend, 6/02.

Mary Agnes Carey, “Analysts See a Seismic shift in Health Policy Debate,” Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 60:12, 3/23/02.

Ron Winslow, “Health Debate Emerges as Costs Rise Again,” Wall Street Journal, 12/17/01.

Deborah J. Neveleff, “Seeking new systems of care, group outlines prescription for reform,” Commentary, Physician Practice Options, 12/01.

“Reform Principles for Improving the Health Care System,” Open Minds Online, 11/19/01.

“Nonprofit Group Sets Sights on Healthcare Reform,” For the Record, 13:23, 14, 11/12/01.

Greg Scandlen, “Scandlen’s Health Policy Comments,” National Center for Policy Analysis, 11/12/01.

“Reform group issues principles for improving the health care system,” AHA News Now, 11/5/01.

Joanne Wojcik, “New group seeks a cure for what ails U.S. health care: The Jackson Hole of the 21st Century,” Business Insurance, 11/5/01, pg. 3.

George D. Lundberg, MD. “American Health System Reform: Circa 2001-2002, Medscape General Medicine, 10/22/01.

Ron Winslow, “Downturn Raises Pressure on Companies to Pass More Health Costs Onto Workers,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/01.

 

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Video/Audio/Webcasts

Posted on May 25, 2013 by

Reshaping Primary Care To Appreciate The Past and Succeed In The Future, Primary Care Progress, 5/1/13.

The World of Health Care Pricing, Marketplace Radio, 6/10/12

A Clinic Case Study, Health 2.0 Conference, October 2010, San Francisco.

Re-Empowering Primary Care, Medscape Video Commentary, The Medscape Journal of Medicine, 12/12//08.

The Business and Society of Health 2.0, at Health 2.0 2008, San Francisco, ICYOU, 10/23/08. Interview with Brian Klepper, at Health 2.0 2008, San Francisco, ICYOU, 10/22/08.

Moderator, The True Cost of a Health Care Data Breach, Kroll Fraud Solutions, 6/12/08.

Moderator, “Kroll Fraud Solutions/HIMSS Analytics, A Report on the Security of Patient Data, 4/23/08.

Healthcare Issue Jam, Webcast Audio Discussion, American Chamber of Commerce Executives, 2/05/08.

When Care is Financially Conflicted, Webcast Video Editorial, MedGenMed (Medscape), 5/08/07

Why Only Non-Health Care Business Can Fix Health Care, NCI Talk Live, World Health Care Congress, DC, 4/22/07.

Interview with Gary Kaplan MD, CEO, Seattle’s Virginia Mason Health System, World Health Care Congress, DC, 4/22/07.

Being Proactive with P4P, Video Commentary, NCI Talk at the National Community Oncology Conference, DC, 2/08/07.

Rationalizing the Supply Chain, Video Commentary, NCI Talk at the World Congress Supply Chain Leadership Summit, Orlando, 1/25/07.

“Pain or Disaster,” Video Commentary, NCI Talk at the Integrated Delivery Network Summit, Orlando, 9/06/06.

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Physicians, Health Systems and the Drive for Market Dominance

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

Brian Klepper

Posted 5/23/13 on Medscape Connect’s Care & Cost Blog

BK 711Several physicians have reached out recently to discuss attractive employment offers from health systems. They are invariably conflicted. They understand the trade-offs, that they’ll give up the autonomy they’ve become accustomed to in exchange for more money and fewer practice management headaches. On the down side, they’ll be accountable for generating significant revenues, sometimes independent of care appropriateness.

Most also are aware that the same care services they provide now will be considerably more expensive once they’re part of a system. Many appreciate that because health systems are corporations with a heavy focus on optimizing short term gains, their future employer’s loyalty is suspect. And then there is the question of whether the health system’s management team is competently preparing to be sustainable in a market that could change dramatically.

As health systems maneuver to dominate regional markets, driving utilization and gaining more leverage over contractual pricing, physician employment has become their principal lever. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are now precious commodities that can manage populations and steer patients into the system’s services. Other specialties – e.g., cardiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and even gynecologic oncology – are desirable if they’re high yield, driving lucrative, intensive use of inpatient and outpatient services.

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Posted in Brian Klepper, HC Approaches That Work, Health Care Reform, Payment Reform, Primary Care | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using Strong Carrots and Sticks To Drive Health Care That Works

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

Brian Klepper

Posted 5/09/13 on Medscape Connect’s Care & Cost Blog

ALP_H_BK_0010On a recent call with a large manufacturer, my company’s team expected to describe how we develop primary care medical homes that become platforms for managing comprehensive health care clinical and financial risk. But the team on the other end of the phone beat us to it. Their remarks – that health care cost is a multi-headed monster that requires a broad array of simultaneously executed approaches – were a breath of fresh air.

They wanted to avoid approaches that don’t work or are designed to accrue to a vendor’s disproportionate financial advantage, and focus instead on mechanisms that measurably improve health and reduce cost. Their conventional current clinic vendor wasn’t onboard, philosophically or in terms of capabilities, and so wasn’t getting results. They were looking for a replacement vendor that could help them drive more appropriate care, with clear rules for patients and providers.

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Why Aren’t Primary Care Physicians More Ticked off about the RUC? An Interview with Brian Klepper

Posted on May 1, 2013 by

Brandon Glenn

Published 4/30/13 in Medical Economics

If primary care physicians have a bigger enemy than the RUC, Brian Klepper, PhD, hasn’t heard about it.

The American Medical Association’s (AMA) Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) is a 31-physician panel that wields enormous influence with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in setting the relative values of medical procedures, which are then used to determine reimbursement levels. CMS has historically accepted about 90% of the panel’s recommendations.

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Posted in Brian Klepper, HC Approaches That Work, Heatlh Care Excess, Payment Reform, Primary Care, RUC | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Physician Practices Can Prepare for a Health Care Marketplace

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

Brian Klepper

Posted 4/21/13 on Medscape Connect’s Care and Cost Blog

BK 711What is the path forward for physicians who want to remain in private practice, outside the constraints of health system employment? How will the environment change and what new demands will that place on practices and physicians? What follows are the observations of one industry-watcher who has worked on all sides of health care, but who now spends most his time focused on the interests of those who pay for it. No crystal ball, but several trends are clear.

There are now concrete signs that health care’s purchasers are exhausted and seeking new solutions, that a competitive marketplace is emerging and getting increasing traction. As they abandon ineffective approaches, the paradigm that has dominated the industry for the past 50 years will be upended. The financial pressure felt by buyers will transfer to the supply side health industry that has come to take ever more money for granted.

For decades, fee-for-service payment, inclusive health plan networks, and a lack of quality, safety and cost transparency have been enforced by health industry influence over policy, effectively neutralizing the power of market forces.

Without market pressure, physicians have felt little need to understand their own performance relative to that of their peers. The variation of physician practice patterns within specialties has been high, with some physicians’ “optimizing their revenue opportunities” by veering wildly away from evidence-based practice. Even so, until recently in this dysfunctional environment, it has been nearly impossible to identify high and low performers.

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Posted in Brian Klepper, HC Approaches That Work, Onsite Clinics, Payment Reform, Regulatory Capture, RUC | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Seriously Testing the Waters

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

Brian Klepper

Published April 2013 in Accountable Care News

BK 711If necessity is the mother of invention, then tentativeness and ambiguity are the parents of procrastination. In health care, fee-for-service remains the dominant paradigm, so the ACO movement, lacking almost any semblance of true financial risk, is far more bark than bite. What’s the point of health systems going to all the trouble – and there’s no question it will be an overwhelmingly complicated overhaul – required to move from volume to value if it isn’t a pressing concern? Or, as several health system CFOs have expressed it, “Why should we change what we do and take less money until we have to.” There is no immediate imperative.

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Posted in Brian Klepper, HC Approaches That Work, Health Care Reform, Health IT, Heatlh Care Excess, Payment Reform, Regulatory Capture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment