Insurance premiums to fall 50% for New Yorkers due to Health Reform

On the homepage of NY Times today.

Highlights:

• Health insurance exchanges established via ACA (online health insurance shopping), are driving transparency in pricing and competition, leading to more affordable premiums
• The exchange will offer a choice of 17 plans, including one offered by North Shore Long Island Jewish health system, who is just entering the health insurance market 
• UHG and Wellpoint will be on the exchange
• Initial estimate of 615K New Yorkers signing up within first few years

Will this be sustainable?  Will these plans be generous enough?  Didn't we already see this play out in Massachusetts?

The Decline of the Physician Private Practice

CNN released an article today noting that "the number of physicians unloading their practices to hospitals is up 30% to 40% in the last five years." Cost pressures, myriad policy changes and the shifting reimbursement landscape are forcing health care practices to become more efficient in the way they do business - and for a small physician practice, managing business expenses and operations is not an easy task. For many physicians, it's becoming easier to sell their practices (or even outsource their administrative functions to entities like University Hospital's UH Physician Services in Cleveland) so they can focus on patient care. Are the days of the private practice coming to an end?  I'm all for efficiency in operations and the benefits of scale - and maybe this will become more and more appealing to the next generation of physicians. Said one physician in the article, "my hours are better. I'm not spending hours on administrative work or worrying about my business."

You know, I would totally throw a fit if my favorite local coffee shop was ever pushed or bought out by a larger chain - but when it comes to health care?  Put me in the cheapest and most efficient setting, no problem.  As long as I can still see my doctor...

Setback for ACA?

The White House announced today that the ACA employer mandate, which requires companies with 50 or more employees to offer health insurance or face penalties, will be delayed one year to 2015. What will happen to these individuals?  Will they purchase coverage through the health insurance exchanges, which are supposed to "go-live" October of this year?  And is this really an indicator for the law's eventual repeal, which many Republicans are hoping for?  You can read more here.