A Look At Population Health

Coach is Right ^ | 3/7/14 | Michael D. Shaw

[Oldpuppymax]

For better or worse, the incursion of national governments into health care—including our own Medicare system—has permanently altered virtually all aspects of how care is delivered. Even before the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) explicitly brought federal control to every facet of this industry irrespective of the type of insurance coverage, Medicare’s influence would reach far beyond its statutory purview of health care for seniors.

Not surprisingly, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has become the lead agency for Obamacare, and, somewhat ironically, has spared no expense in the pursuit of saving money on health care. For example, CMS set aside more than $20 billion to encourage the development, deployment, and so-called “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR). While the overall blessings of EHRs have so far been mixed, it is expected that...