Are high-deductible plans driving rise in hospital spending, and other letters

Regarding the recent article “Healthcare spending rises 5.5% while rest of economy sputters” (ModernHealthcare.com, April 29), I wonder if the rise in hospital costs could be related to the rapid growth of high-deductible health plans. The plans would be expected to suppress healthcare spending in the short run, but as people's chronic illnesses catch up to them and they start to develop complications, it should lead to rising ER and hospital costs after a few years.

Could this be what we are seeing? If so, it will only get worse in the coming years.

Dr. Stephen Kemble

Assistant clinical professor of medicineUniversity of Hawaii John A. Burns School of MedicineHonolulu

The recent Vital Signs blog post “Should Medicare make the switch to electronic cards?” (ModernHealthcare.com, April 27) offers great insights. Information technology research firm Gartner recently reported that fraud, waste and abuse in healthcare was estimated to cost $60 billion to $80 billion annually because of either a deliberate attempt to deceive the system or inefficient administrative processes and systems. So any attempt to reduce fraud and waste while improving operations should be considered.

Information technology and real-time data are changing the workplace no matter the industry or an individual's role. IT can help payers be more proactive in detecting and preventing fraud. In the case of electronic cards for Medicare, it could also help save money, improve efficiency and provide a better customer experience.

Kelly Rakowski

Senior vice president of healthcare payer servicesXeroxMilwaukee

Regarding the article “Care-transition program fumbles highlight CMS' reform challenges” (Modern Healthcare, May 4, p. 17), I did not see any mention of using pharmacists in care transitions and reducing patient readmissions. A number of recent studies link outcomes and improved value to pharmacists, including reports from the National Governors Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many states now allow a pharmacist to accept any delegated act by a physician, but unfortunately, we are not recognized as a healthcare provider. This could change through support of bipartisan legislation already introduced in Congress.

Community and hospital pharmacists are critical in this endeavor. We often interact with patients more frequently than physicians or nurses. We are highly educated medication experts and could refer patients for follow-up care to their physicians before they end up back in the hospital.

Mark Jacobs

Vice president of operationsPAAS NationalStoughton, Wis.