50% of Those Eligible for Tax Subsidy Would Owe Repayment

According to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation:

• 50% of U.S. households eligible for a tax subsidy under the health law would owe a repayment
• 45% of those eligible would receive a refund.
• Estimated Average Repayment is $794. Estimated Average Refund is $773.
• Households with an original income between 100-200% of the poverty level would have the lowest average repayment ($667) and refund ($412) amounts.
• Households with an original income between 300-400% of the poverty level ($34,470-$45,960 for an individual) would have the highest average repayment ($1,380) and refund ($1,601) amounts.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Today's Datapoint

More than $27.8 billion has been returned to Medicare since the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program was established in 1996, with $3.3 billion in recoveries in FY 2014 alone, HHS and the Department of Justice announced recently.

Quote of the Day

"The numbers [of provider-led plans] have not really grown significantly from the last [A.M. Best Company report five years ago]. There has been more of an alignment within the industry between carriers and providers and you see each segment kind of acquiring capabilities or, through contracting, aligning with each other. If I had a crystal ball I would say alignment is going to win out. You will see some of the larger publics, the Blues starting to form more unique partnerships, relationships with multiple systems."


— Joseph Zazzera, assistant vice president of A.M. Best Company, told AIS's Health Plan Week

According to a recent survey of emergency department physicians

97% said at least some of the advanced diagnostic imaging studies they personally order are medically unnecessary.

Source: "Emergency Physician Perceptions of Medically Unnecessary Advanced Diagnostic Imaging," Academic Medicine, abstract only, March 23, 2015, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acem.12625/abstract

Today's Datapoint

Medicare Advantage plans are being paid 5% more than fee-for-service plans, according to a new MedPAC report to Congress.

Quote of the Day

"I think CMS has got to give some ground here [regarding its new Next Generation Medicare accountable care organization model, which forces provider groups to compete against themselves year-over year]. They're essentially punishing everyone who's been successful. They expected to go into a higher-risk plan, not to have a lower benchmark."



— Clif Gaus, CEO of the National Assn. of ACOs, told AIS's ACO Business News.

According to a recent survey of healthcare professionals:

• 86% think that health apps will increase their knowledge of patients’ conditions
• 72% think that health apps will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their own health
• 46% say that they will introduce mobile apps to their practice in the next five years

Source: "Are mobile medical apps good for our health? A new study by Research Now reveals that doctors and patients say yes," Research Now Press Release, March 17, 2015, http://www.researchnow.com/en-US/PressAndEvents/News/2015/march/research-now-study-are-mobile-medical-apps-good-for-our-health-infographic.aspx