ORTHOPEDICS THIS WEEK VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 38 | DECEMBER 5 , 2017 23
According to a PBS report , the 365- page plan also proposes other changes to the inner workings of the health insurance markets created under the Obama-era law . The marketplaces offer subsidized private plans to people who don ’ t have access to jobbased coverage . The changes proposed by the Trump administration cover areas from consumers ’ eligibility for subsidies to how insurers are reimbursed .
AMA : Patients Vulnerable
AMA President David O . Barbe , M . D ., said most costs associated with EHB requirements are attributable to such services as hospital inpatient and outpatient care , physician services , and prescription drugs . “ These services are fundamental components of health insurance coverage . Removing any categories from the EHB requirements , or allowing waivers of such requirements , could make individuals vulnerable to significant out-of-pocket expenses , or hinder patient access to necessary services .”
Members at the AMA meeting also evaluated various options to improve the stability of health insurance premiums by subsidizing the costs of high-cost and high-risk patients , who may have pre-existing conditions . Those members favored directing resources to reinsurance programs “ given evidence that other programs involving high risk pools before the Affordable Care Act provided second-class insurance to individuals with preexisting conditions .”
The newly adopted AMA policy prefers reinsurance programs as an economical and equitable mechanism to subsidize the expenses of high-cost and high-risk patients . — WE
Registry Reports Hospital Charges
To help consumers compare costs among hospitals and bring more transparency to hospital pricing practices , the Maryland Health Care Commission has authored a website that will let Maryland consumers compare hospital rates for a variety of procedures .
According to Andrea K . McDaniels , reporter for The Baltimore Sun , a knee replacement at Medstar Harbor Hospital will cost a patient $ 37,225 on average , while the same procedure at the University of Maryland Shore Medical System at Easton will cost $ 22,687 .
The new website — wearthecost . org should help consumers compare costs among hospitals and bring more transparency to hospital pricing practices . The website compiles the information all in one place and in a consumerfriendly way . Commission members hope the website will arm users with more information to help them make more informed decisions when choosing a hospital .
McDaniels reports that , at present the analysis incorporates data from 2014 and 2015 and includes comparisons of four procedures — hysterectomy , vaginal delivery , hip replacement and knee replacement — and will expand to include others over time .
“ We have felt for a long time that what we needed to do is get some clarity in this area of what things cost ,” said Commission Chairman Robert E . Moffit , M . D .
McDaniels reported that some hospital officials , including those who worked with the commission , say the new website is too limited in scope . As Johns Hopkins Hospital spokeswoman Kim Hoppe said in a statement , “ We fully support any efforts aimed at providing transparent information to help patients make informed decisions . We believe that the current site does not yet achieve that goal . We will continue to work with [ the commission ] to better understand the data and methodologies they employed , as well as advocate for the inclusion of additional information that would assist patients in making the right choice for health care services .” — BY
Maryland Health Care Commission
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