Category Archives: Brainstorms

The Medicare Maze: Observation Stays, Nursing Home Costs, and “Invisible Patients”

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

By Joanne Conroy, MD We have all been traveling and have found ourselves party to a conversation because of proximity or bad cell phone etiquette. Some of these conversations are irritating, but I was looped into an interesting one the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brainstorms, Commentary, Payment Reform | 1 Comment

Can We Put the Hospital Marketing Genie Back in the Bottle?

Posted on April 2, 2013 by

By Joanne Conroy, MD I am old enough to remember when physicians did not advertise. It was considered a professional ethical issue. Hospital advertising consisted of institutional “We’re here” ads.  Anything aggressive by docs or hospitals was considered bad taste… … Continue reading →

Posted in Brainstorms, Future of AMCs, Health Information Technology | 2 Comments

The Complicated Issue of Medical Poverty

Posted on March 5, 2013 by

By Joanne Conroy, MD Medical poverty was the cause célèbre of 2010 midterm elections, the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and an important contributor to the “poverty trap.” The term refers to the growing burden … Continue reading →

Posted in Brainstorms, Commentary, Payment Reform | 1 Comment

Consumer-Directed Health Care: Can Engaged Patients Transform Our Health System?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by

By Joanne Conroy, MD Proponents of consumer-directed health plans argue that insured people aren’t really aware of the costs of care. Usually, their out-of-pocket costs are limited to 25 percent of premium costs in employer-sponsored plans, deductibles, and co-pays. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Brainstorms, Commentary, Patient Engagement | 1 Comment