Most of us are familiar with the magic of cult-classic “As Seen on TV” products, from the Snuggie to the ShamWow. You may even have one or two late night purchases stored away somewhere waiting for your next white elephant party, or in the very rare case, still in use. Read more…
Until recent years, if you were a patient needing a health care service, it was nearly impossible for you to determine what it might cost you unless you had health insurance and access to a cost estimator tool. If you didn’t have insurance, your only option was to start calling Read more…
Picture Day. Love it or hate it, it was an integral part of every school year. If you were lucky, you chose your favorite outfit and made sure your smile sparkled. If your luck was at the other end of the spectrum, you forgot what day it was and were Read more…
If you’re a fan of the Simpsons, you’ve probably encountered an episode or two with the rather unconventional and reckless character, “Dr. Nick”. If you’re not familiar with Dr. Nick, all you need to know is that he was challenged by a Malpractice Board for performing surgery with a knife Read more…
January is the month when people often take note of how much they spent during the holidays. Many look at their bank accounts wondering how they spent so much money and where it all went. Maybe you had a few individual big ticket items that were expensive, or maybe you Read more…
“Data Liberacion!” “Free the Data!” “Transparency or Bust!” If all of the organizations working on controlling health care costs were to hold a rally to push for a better system, it’s likely many would be carrying (or wearing) signs saying all of the above. But what do we mean when Read more…
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…
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…
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…