Latest Commentary

Health insurers, providers don't have to settle for 'frenemy' status

There's a curious dichotomy going on in the healthcare industry. On one hand, in recent hearings on Capitol Hill, healthcare providers and insurers acted like true adversaries, with the provider...

3 strategies for changing the health insurance business model

Guest post from Rita Numerof, Ph.D., president of Numerof & Associates In the face of a market-wide demand for lower costs, many of the players in the healthcare space have defined their...

High-deductible plans lead to costly care procrastination

As a semi-reformed procrastinator, I know a thing or two about the seductive allure of trading long-term goals for short-term satisfaction. But I've learned that philosophy almost always has an...

Too soon for Aetna, Anthem to declare victory in merger review process

When it comes to the rigorous review process that major industry mergers must face, how soon is too soon to declare victory? Personally, I would argue that any time before the Department of Justice...

Wellness programs: Skip the bad press by using a softer touch

Wellness programs seem to be drawing nearly as much flak as praise these days. A report last week from Kaiser Health News indicated that many employers are raising the bar when it comes to what they...

Partisan bickering distracts from real healthcare policy issues

Ah, Capitol Hill. Just when you start to have high hopes that our elected representatives are taking on the important issues--in this case, a hearing about consolidation in the healthcare...

Insurance mergers: Harmful to providers and their patients

Guest post from antitrust attorney David Balto, former policy director for the Federal Trade Commission, and James Kovacs, an associate attorney at the Law Offices of David Balto The...

Shopaholics welcome: Insurer rewards members who hunt for best procedure prices

Price transparency is having a moment in the healthcare industry--particularly in the insurance sector, which has long faced criticism for contributing to consumers' less-than-adequate...

No excuse for poor consumer guidance on health insurance exchanges

The message from my relative caught me by surprise. It read: "Your article today hit a resounding tone for me. I didn't take advantage of my CSR plan last year, but I did for this...

Sensational reports of health insurance premium hikes misleading, incomplete

Guest post from Joel White, president of the Council for Affordable Health Coverage At the end of July, Healthcare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan sent a letter to insurance commissioners, urging them to...