Schwimmer Script Blog
Our Ambitious Plans for 2018
We’re moving into 2018 with uncertainty on the federal level, new leadership on the state level, and our own ambitious plans to make health care work better for the people of New Jersey. There is no time to waste. I’m sharing with you an outline of our 2018 goals to make real impact, as we…Read More…
Truth Tellers in Health Care Spending
If you were able to attend our winter conference, you know we hit on themes at the very core of our work at the Quality Institute. How can we improve quality and reduce costs? We all know it’s possible. And we all know it’s going to be really tough. As our keynote speaker Niall Brennan…Read More…
Is Health Care Earned? Or A Right?
I recently watched a video of Seema Verma, the current Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, outlining her vision for Medicaid. She spoke of the need to give states greater flexibility in administrating their Medicaid programs, a change that we at the Quality Institute support. She also touched on a question I…Read More…
CMS Innovation Center Wants Your Ideas
If you believe we need new approaches to pay for and deliver health care — and you have some good ideas — Washington wants to hear from you. CMS recently put forth a Request For Information, asking for suggestions to foster a more affordable and accessible health care system that puts patients first. As the Quality…Read More…
Let’s Get Real on Reducing Costs
It’s October. That means Halloween and something even scarier — insurance premium increases. This year, people in the individual market will face hikes even higher than usual thanks to the federal government’s concerted effort to undermine the marketplace. Small businesses in New Jersey also feel the fright. Plans now offered in the Small Employer market have…Read More…
ACA Enrollment Needs You
Open enrollment for the ACA Marketplace begins November 1 and runs through December 15. New Jersey residents will have three carriers to choose from: Horizon BCBSNJ, AmeriHealth, and Oscar. The 2018 rates should come out any day now and will be higher than they otherwise would have been if Congress or the Administration had authorized…Read More…
Best Care is Best Kept Secret
I recently visited my new physician, Dr. Randi Protter, at R-Health, which provides a new model of care — called Direct Primary Care — that could improve patient outcomes while also reducing costs. The state, seeking ways to reduce costs, began this model for people covered by the State Health Benefits Program (state and local government employees,…Read More…
Was that Bipartisan Cooperation on Health Care? Yes, and We Need More
I tuned in to watch the recent senate hearings on the actions Congress should take to stabilize the individual insurance market — and I saw something as rare as the solar eclipse: a thoughtful, bipartisan discussion on health care that focused on solutions, not polemics. Governors and Insurance Commissioners from blue states and red states talked…Read More…
An App to Guide You Toward Health Care That You Need and Away From Care That You Don’t
The next time you’re sitting in the waiting room of your doctor’s office, put down the People magazine and pick up your phone. Then download the Choosing Wisely app. Look up the reason for your visit and you’ll get clear, easy-to-understand information to guide your conversation with the doctor. Choosing Wisely is an initiative by…Read More…
Who’s Addressing Costs As Repeal Debate Rages On?
Nobody would blame you for mistaking a “skinny repeal” for the latest low fat latte or frozen dessert. The phrase that’s entered the lexicon of health care refers to the most recent approach to replace the Affordable Care Act. The plan is less “all-out-repeal” than earlier versions, but still largely guts the ACA. Under “skinny…Read More…