Experiment to lower Medicare costs did not save much money
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on June 2nd, 2011 4:34 am by HL
Experiment to lower Medicare costs did not save much money
A key government experiment that set out to lower costs and coordinate care for Medicare patients — now the blueprint for an innovation the Obama administration is trying to move to a national scale — has failed to save a substantial amount of money.
The five-year test enlisted 10 leading health systems around the country and offered financial bonuses if they could save enough by treating older patients more efficiently while providing high-quality care.
In 2010, the final year, just four of the 10 sites, all long-established groups run by doctors, slowed their Medicare spending enough to qualify for a bonus, according to an official evaluation not yet made public. Two sites saved enough to get bonuses in all five years, the evaluation shows, but three did not succeed even once.
ACLU challenges drug tests of Fla. workers
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is suing Florida Gov. Rick Scott over ordering drug testing for all state employees, regardless of suspicion. (June 1)
