Health Care Delivery

A recent survey by the Mercer consulting firm has confirmed what many already suspected: employers are anticipating an increase in the cost of health benefits due to the Affordable Care Act.

On June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court upheld the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), setting into motion changes that will transform the way in which healthcare services are reimbursed and delivered. The result of this decision has sparked widespread debate on whether the PPACA will accomplish what it was intended to.

Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), states that higher costs and reductions in health plan options were consequences of states that did not link Affordable Care Act insurance market reforms and the individual mandate.

Higher use of performance-based payment mechanisms and capitated arrangements is associated with a decrease in the amount of time physicians spend with patients with cancer.