Tag: ACA

18Oct, 2017

“Trump says ‘there is no such thing as Obamacare’ ”, according to CNBC.

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, consumers, deductibles, Donald J. Trump, governmen, healthcare, healthcare technology, individuals, NPR, ObamaCare, patients, president

Once again, we interrupt our series on Silicon Valley and healthcare to discuss the shifting sands on the U.S. healthcare reform. I will point out that the U.S. has not gone through any real healthcare reform; it has been experiencing a poor attempt at insurance reform, with the goal of insuring more Americans. The effort of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), also referred to as ObamaCare, is not healthcare reform. In the last week, the President of the United Sates, Donald J. Trump has executed two Executive Orders […]
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7Jul, 2017

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The GOP Healthcare Bill – The U.S. Senate Version (Part 2)

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, Accountable Care Organizations, ACOs, Affordable Care Act, healthcare, healthcare bill, hospitals, insurance, insurance coverage, Medicaid, Medicare, ObamaCare

Why can’t we fix U.S. Healthcare? The biggest problem with the healthcare bill submitted by the Republicans in the U.S. Senate is that they have not tried to fix the same problems the Democrats were unable to fix in Obamacare. They have all focused-on insurance – not cost, quality of care and/or price transparency. We in the U.S have only begun to scratch the surface on the use of technology. Plus, there is no patient or consumer influence in the healthcare marketplace – NONE! Sky-high prices are what makes dealing […]
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4Jul, 2017

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The GOP Healthcare Bill – The U.S. Senate Version (Part 1)

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, Affordable Care Act, grants, healthcare, healthcare reform, insurance, insurance bill, Medicaid, ObamaCare, TrumpCare

It is nearly impossible to turn on the television, read any website, or listen to talk radio in America and not be overwhelmed by the discussion on the Republican Senate Healthcare Bill. This debate has been the latest process of President Trump’s “repeal and replace ObamaCare” campaign promise. This week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their estimates on the U.S. Senate Healthcare Bill. First, let’s be real, not now nor has there ever been a healthcare bill. It is a medical insurance bill. Nothing in this bill, nor in […]
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9Nov, 2015

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Consumerism in Healthcare 2016 and Beyond Pt. 3

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, interconnectivity, technology

Part 3 In Part 1, we briefly discussed a few emerging trends in healthcare that seem to be gathering momentum; including the impact of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). In Part 2, we discussed how the internet, and particularly Google, has changed “consumer engagement” and what the healthcare industry must invest to catch up with consumer demand for interconnectivity to “everything.” This trend is irreversible and even more likely to pick up steam in the next 4 years. Think of it in terms of a hockey stick; we’re […]
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3Nov, 2015

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Consumerism in Healthcare 2016 and Beyond Pt. 2

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, American Medical Society, insurance, Internet Healthcare Solutions, MU-1, MU-2, platform

Part 2 In Part 1, we briefly discussed a few emerging trends in healthcare today that seem to be gathering momentum; including the impact of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). This time, I want to expand on a recently released survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, “Healthcare Consumer Engagement. ” Let me begin with a brief story. In 2000, as I was beginning the transition from healthcare operations to healthcare technology, while incorporating a company called Internet Healthcare Solutions, (that has, after several reorganizations, become Quantum […]
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26Oct, 2015

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Consumerism in Healthcare 2016 and Beyond

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, consumers, HHS, Medicaid, technology

Part 1 There are many trends emerging today in healthcare that seem to be gathering momentum. Some may credit changes to the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), some may credit changes in demographics, some the advancement in technology, while others the success of increasing consumer engagement. Regarding changes due to the ACA; yes, the ACA has disrupted some elements in healthcare, but in the totality of its context, the ACA seems to have brought about more challenges than solutions. It is self-evident that a lot of work remains and […]
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28Aug, 2015

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New Study Casts Serious Doubts on Efforts to Accelerate EHR Adoption

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, EHR, EMR, HITECH ACT, Medicare and Medicaid

For years, and under two different Presidents, the U.S. government has been pushing, enticing and inducing the medical community to adopt Electronic Health Records (EHR). One of the unanswered questions from a U.S. Government perspective is, “What difference does it make?” A recent report from a research collaborative study from faculty at University of Alabama – Birmingham, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University asks the dark question; “has it all been worth it?” The private report indicates that it is very possible that “the electronic health records meaningful use program […]
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6Aug, 2015

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U.S. Healthcare Cost Back on Up Swing… on way to $5.4 Trillion (USD)

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, CMS, EHR, EMR, GDP, Inflation, insurance, Mandates, Medicaid, Medicare, Regulations, Spending, U.S. Healthcare, Wellness

Since 2009 healthcare cost appeared to be changing their mid-range trend line. Some, including the President of the United States, have tried to connect that “drop” in the cost of healthcare to the passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA and sometime referred to as “ObamaCare”); however, most know that ACA did literally nothing to control cost, or did very little to reform how we pay for healthcare. In fact, some could say, and I have said that the ACA will actually add to long-term healthcare cost, and […]
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8Jul, 2015

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The King v. Burwell Decision

By: Charity Darby | Tags: 21st Century, ACA, Congress and President, EHR, King v. Burwell, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) v. Sebelius, SCOTUS

I would not be the student of healthcare if I didn’t comment on the second most historic decision of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. I will admit, I was not that surprised by the King v. Burwell decision as I was the decision prior, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) v. Sebelius1. In my personal opinion, that was the big case where the majority effectively determined that the “penalty” was not a penalty but rather a “tax,” and under the […]
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29Jun, 2015

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Mega Health Insurance Mergers – Good Or Bad?

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACA, Aetna, AMA, Anthem, Cigna, hospitals, Humana, MAP, NYSE, payers, PPM, providers, Sherman Trust Anti-Trust Act

The media recently announced at least two proposed mega-mergers by large insurance companies however, no offer has been accepted at this time. Cigna Corporation had received an offer from Anthem, Inc. for, at the last count, $47.5 billion (USD). Aetna, Inc. is also reportedly close to tendering an offer to buy Humana, Inc. Additionally, there is talk on the Street that UnitedHealth Group, Inc. made a takeover approach to Aetna. If completed, I believe the first two deal deals would have a direct impact on patients, providers and maybe even […]
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