Texas “Underinsured” Numbers Growing

05/22/2015

By W. Stephen Love, President/CEO of the DFW Hospital Council We frequently discuss the uninsured population, but what about the “underinsured?” Perhaps you are asking, “Just what is the underinsured?” They are residents with healthcare coverage crippled by out-of-pocket health costs that are 10 percent or more of household income. That bar is lowered to 5 percent or more of … Read More

Legal Barriers to Good Care Coordination

05/07/2015

Blog by W. Stephen Love, President/CEO DFW Hospital Council In today’s healthcare profession, we focus on population health, improved care and better value. We call this the “Triple Aim” of improving the patient experience. Hospitals and medical providers have been accused of operating within “silos,” meaning essentially people who don’t share information or cohesively work together. Today, we are attempting … Read More

Is it close enough?

02/20/2015

Blog by Steve Love We frequently read articles examining why the healthcare cost in some cities is higher than others. Healthcare delivery is complex no matter the locale and there are many factors. Some components are brutally simple, with one specific “public health focus” potentially saving millions of dollars in North Texas healthcare costs. Many of our cities (Irving, Richardson, … Read More

What About Hospital Patient Care Costs?

04/09/2013

About five years ago, a “think tank” and university published total Medicare costs per beneficiary in different regions of the country. They stated Texas had some of the highest health care costs in the nation. I contacted the people who conducted the study, reviewed their raw data and extracted only acute care hospital expenses. My analysis revealed acute care hospital … Read More