Hospitals embracing Lean and Six Sigma strategies

U.S. hospitals are beginning to embrace Lean and Six Sigma business management strategies to reduce costs and improve productivity, according to a new benchmarking study by the American Society for Quality. The ASQ claims its Hospital Study, which includes 77 hospitals, is the first to investigate the implementation of Lean and Six Sigma management methods in U.S. hospitals. Both have only recently moved into healthcare, and there is little substantive data available for hospitals to assess their worth.

Congress mulls ending condition exclusions

Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) have introduced the Pre-existing Condition Patient Protection Act, which would eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions in all insurance markets. The legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on the extent of adverse selection, which happens when less healthy people disproportionately enroll in a risk pool. This new reporting requirement would provide transparency on the true mix of patients and patient claims experience among private insurers.

Americans skipping needed care, say system is failing

Forty percent of Americans are giving the U.S. healthcare system a failing grade, according to a new study. The 2009 Deloitte Survey of Healthcare Consumers found nearly 40 percent of consumers are giving the U.S. healthcare system a grade of either D or F. And two of every five consumers have skipped care because they could not afford it, were not covered by insurance or thought the costs were too high. More than 4,000 U.S. consumers 18 and older were surveyed as part of Deloitte’s study.

SCHIP not a good model for universal reforms

An incremental healthcare reform model, exemplified by the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, is not bold enough for broad-based reform that would create universal coverage, according to a paper in the journal Health Affairs. The authors claim that, unlike SCHIP, comprehensive healthcare reform will require tapping more controversial revenue sources or suspending Congressional "PAYGO" budget rules that require new spending to be paid for through cutting other spending or increasing revenues.