October 2008

Cover Story

Reform — Does It Just Mean More Regulation?
No matter who wins the White House, clinical executives and other managers will need to deal with a shift in policy

John Carroll

Insurer’s Obesity Program In N.C. Reduces Medical Cost
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina addresses social factor as way to managed population health

Frank Diamond

It’s Time to Ask More of Utilization Management
Case management, utilization management, and quality improvement staff members can play an important part in promoting improved care for patients

Sherrie Dulworth, RN ; Tiffanie Lenderman, MBA

Help Members to Avoid A Part D Doughnut Hole Crisis
Educating members about Medicare Part D saves patients a lot of anguish and payers a lot of money

Woody Eisenberg, MD

Peer-Reviewed

Loss of Confidence in Diabetes Management

Patricia R. Salber, MD, MBA ; William Bestermann, MD ; Stanley Schwartz MD ; Albert Marchetti, MD

Editor’s Memo

Health Care Reform Means More Oversight

John Marcille

Legislation & Regulation

Doctors Say Getting Wired Too Costly, Time-Consuming
President Bush wanted widespread adoption of electronic health records by 2014, but that’s clearly not going to happen

John Carroll

Compensation Monitor

Hospitals driving the demand for PCPs
The Formulary Files

Web site provides pediatric vaccine pricing
Tomorrow’s Medicine

Platelet Production Bolstered With Romiplostim Approval
A peptide fusion protein can stem the tide of abnormal, excessive bleeding

Thomas Morrow, MD

Managed Care Outlook

Looking back to understand future trends



News & Commentary

Wall Street Turmoil Makes Accessing Capital Difficult for Managed Care

Retail Clinic Savings Disappoint

BCBSA Asks HHS To Slow Down

How do Medicare benefits stack up?

Candidates’ Plans Hurt Workers?

Individual Market Grows a Bit

Headlines On Deadline . . .

Wellness Programs’ Popularity Grows