Insurance

The hotly debated proposition of premium support comes during a time of healthcare improvements through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare reform, which aim to combat the rising costs and substantial budget deficits resulting from an aging population and increased healthcare utilization.

Earlier this week, Kaiser Health News released an analysis of Medicare data which showed that approximately 2200 hospitals will face penalties this October for having too many patients readmitted for care within 30 days of discharge.

Recognizing shared features of 2 Medicare payment reform strategies, premium support and global payment, may help us focus on, and resolve, the differences.

The Medicare program as we know it is at a crossroad. But, just how important is it to voters? The Kaiser Family Foundation shed some light on that question Thursday when it released a report stating that 73% of respondents polled in the days around the announcement of Paul Ryan as the running mate of presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney described Medicare as "very important" or "extremely important" to their votes.

Despite increased enrollment, the role of Medicare managed care in explaining declines in preventable hospitalization rates diminished over time.

Jeff Lemieux, Senior Vice President, Center for Health Policy and Research, AHIP, and Jon Bumbaugh, Director of Statistics & Actuarial Services, MedAssurant, Inc, address preventing hospital readmissions.