According to the National Institutes of Health, telehealth services have been around since the 1920s using the limited technologies of their time. A century later, virtual care has become commonplace thanks to the global pandemic... and it is here to stay, especially for mental health services.

Saying things have “gone to the dogs” implies a worsened situation. However, a recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that dogs have a leg up and humans get the short end of the stick, paying more for commonly prescribed drugs used to treat both people and pets.

Technology leaders and top executives from US hospitals and health systems met recently to focus on healthcare affordability and transforming the patient financial experience. Although many good ideas were generated, the definition and expectation of affordability clearly varies by stakeholder.

While patients grapple with runaway costs and the indignities of the U.S. healthcare system, the largest health insurance firms posted solid year-over-year earnings growth for the first half of 2022. In fact, experts don’t think they’ll struggle at all despite worrisome economic conditions.

Consumers cheered when the Hospital Price Transparency rule took effect in January 2021, requiring that facilities publish their payer-specific negotiated rates for drugs and services. Despite the positive news, there remains a blatant lack of compliance that continues to keep patients in the dark.

Americans spend about $500 billion a year on prescription drugs with no visibility into the processes that set prices or the comparative effectiveness of drugs approved for the same clinical purpose. This opaqueness makes it impossible to ensure that prices are aligned with the value a drug provides.

The Health Rosetta is an innovative blueprint for high performance health plans that is transforming the benefits experience for employers and plan members. Vitori Health supports this mission and is proud to sponsor and attend the upcoming Health Rosetta Summit in Denver.

The landmark No Surprises Act became effective January 1, 2022 to protect consumers from surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers and facilities. Greedy industry stakeholders are fighting to remove these long overdue protections. Is anyone surprised?

Employers take great care to choose the best possible health plan for their members. But to get value from their plan, employees must understand common health insurance terms to make sound health care decisions. A recent study shows how a lack of literacy is resulting in confusion and higher costs.

Is laughter really the best medicine? Sadly, it is mightily needed to offset these tragic “health care” experiences. While it’s easy to shake our heads at the absurdity of the American healthcare system, it’s hard to laugh at its outrageous and often heartbreaking impact on patients.

Twenty years ago, nearly two-thirds of doctors were independent practitioners. Today, only one-quarter remain independent. This mass exodus is being driven by financial pressures, marketplace competition, and the politics of health care. Which begs the question: where have all the doctors gone?