Think about the last time you purchased a cell phone. You probably had a lot of choices including multiple versions of the iPhone and Android phones, all with unique bells and whistles which impacted the price you would have to pay. Regardless of what you chose, you likely knew that Read more
Perspective of CIVHC’s VP of Research and Compliance & Chief Economist, Jonathan Mathieu, PhD In September, CIVHC staff, along with representatives of four key Colorado stakeholder groups, had the great privilege to attend a National Affordability Summit hosted by the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) in Washington, DC. The Read more
Across the U.S. and in Colorado, health care costs continue to rise. But what kind of costs are economists, policy makers and others referring to when they talk about making health care more affordable? It honestly depends on who is talking, what data they are using, and what parts of Read more
Out of necessity and contract arrangement with our previous data warehouse vendor, CIVHC has maintained three websites over the past five years: CIVHC.org – general information on our organization and some data/reports Comedprice.org –interactive data from the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) Comedpriceshowcase.org – Highlights of the Read more
Remember that scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when they visit The Art Institute of Chicago and the troubled Cameron gets lost in the impressionist painting by George Seurat? If you’ve never seen the movie (heaven forbid) or if you’d just like an excuse to reflect back to the 80s, Read more
As discussed in our first Plaintalk Blog, administrating the CO APCD takes a great deal of processing, quality control, and analytic capability. Getting claims information in the door in the correct format and processing them to a point where the information is useful for reporting is a heavy lift and costs Read more
Deciding where to get health care is a pretty big deal. But, unlike most other big-deal purchases, today’s industry doesn’t allow us to comparison shop. When you’re getting ready to buy a new car, the price point is only one of the things you take into consideration. You likely research Read more
What are bundled payments, and how do they help providers reduce waste and deliver better care? In the past decade, the health care system has started shifting away from volume-based payments (payments per visit regardless of the outcome), to a value-based payment (payments tied to quality and/or outcomes) approach. This Read more
A few months ago, I helped my daughter prepare to leave Colorado for a new journey in her life. We laughed and reminisced as she packed up the items we thought she’d need (and would fit in a small backpack), all the while aware that a new phase for our Read more
This is not the end of Obamacare; it’s the beginning.In a surprising move, Paul Ryan pulled the American Health Care Act, the Republican ACA repeal and replace bill, last Friday. It had become clear that there was no movement to the left or the right that would garner enough votes Read more