According to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine, 42% of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings in two years because of treatment.
The same study found that 62% of cancer patients are in debt because of their treatment.
Continue reading… “Study: Almost half of new cancer patients lose their entire life savings”
Digital Editor at the Economist, Tom Standage, at the ‘PWC World in Beta’ conference predicts ‘data meets healthcare’ is one of 5 emerging technologies that are shaping todays world. Continue reading… “The Economist’s digital editor: wearables will kill the healthcare insurance industry”
The traditional fee-for-service approach to medicine that can lead to overtreatment and unnecessary medical tests and procedures.
The country’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans say they are spending more than $65 billion annually, about 20 percent of the medical claim dollars they pay, on “value-based” care that rewards better outcomes and keeps patients healthy. This is the latest blow to fee-for-service medicine.
Continue reading… “Blue Cross makes a $65B bet on value-based medical care”
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act bars insurers from denying coverage or raising premiums on individuals who show a genetic predisposition toward particular diseases.
The cost of sequencing an individual genome will soon be less than $1,000, reports the New York Times. That’s not nothing, but given what most health care costs, it’s not much. And it means that an individual mandate — or something much like it — is inevitable.
Continue reading… “The health insurance industry could be destroyed by a $1000 test”
What significant advances can we expect in 2012?
In 2011 some great medical feats were accomplished. Dallas Wiens became the first recipient of a full-face transplant in the United States, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords survived a gunshot to her brain, and HIV researchers found a way to lower an infected person’s chance of transmitting the virus to sexual partners by 96 percent.
Continue reading… “5 advanced in medicine predicted for 2012”
U.S. poverty rate hits 15.1%
Income fell for the third straight year in 2010 in the typical American household. The poverty level rose up to its highest leve since 1993 as the aftermath of the latest recession continued to take a toll.
Continue reading… “Household income falls, poverty rate hits highest level since 1993”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.