Every published claim that direct primary care makes a significant dent in necessary health care spending is dubious at best. See, for example, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. When the data from the Union County clinic — a Georgia Public Policy Foundation favorite — is age-adjusted, it indicatesContinue reading “Three bad ways to bet the health of Georgia citizens on direct primary care.”
Category Archives: Current at DPC Referee
AEG/WP’s chosen actuary did not validate the assumption that direct primary care reduces downstream care costs.
AEG/WP report declares that “[Nyhart, an independent] actuary determined that “(1) the modeling assumptions are reasonable for this type of analysis and (2) the illustrative projections and savings are reasonable outcomes based on the modeling assumptions and data inputs selected.” This statement sounds like powerful support for report’s key assumption that direct primary care bringsContinue reading “AEG/WP’s chosen actuary did not validate the assumption that direct primary care reduces downstream care costs.”
Bupkes. Nextera reported a claims cost reduction of $72 PMPM; subtracting a $70 fee, and AEG/WP’s billion dollar promises fall nearly 95%.
Asked for sources supporting their assumption of 15% downstream care claims cost reduction, the authors of Healthcare Innovations in Georgia — Anderson Economic Group and Wilson Partners (AEG/WP) — point to Nextera’s contract with DigitalGlobe, as reported in Nextera’s self-published study here. And here’s the exact table from that study showing claims cost reductions forContinue reading “Bupkes. Nextera reported a claims cost reduction of $72 PMPM; subtracting a $70 fee, and AEG/WP’s billion dollar promises fall nearly 95%.”
Nextera’s marketing presentation establishes huge selection bias, while revealing modest evidence that Nextera cuts cost for some of its patients. But the data set is tiny, old, and contaminated by results for fee for service patients!
UPDATE 5/31/2019. This needs a correction, but I want to leave it intact below for the record. I have in the title above and the text below that the Nextera data is contaminated by FFS patient data. This is not correct. To preserve HSA tax advantages, many of the Nextera patients did not want toContinue reading “Nextera’s marketing presentation establishes huge selection bias, while revealing modest evidence that Nextera cuts cost for some of its patients. But the data set is tiny, old, and contaminated by results for fee for service patients!”
The two largest and most current AEG/WP examples of downstream cost reduction failed to adequately address selection bias.
“Healthcare Innovations in Georgia:Two Recommendations”, the report prepared by the Anderson Economic Group and Wilson Partners (AEG/WP) for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, makes some valuable contributions to deliberations about direct primary care. The AEG/WP team clearly explained their computations and made clear the assumptions underlying their report. This facilitates the public discussion that theContinue reading “The two largest and most current AEG/WP examples of downstream cost reduction failed to adequately address selection bias.”
Why did Wilson Partners’ research into DPC cost-reduction bypass uniquely available and pointedly relevant data?
“Healthcare Innovations in Georgia:Two Recommendations”, the report prepared by the Anderson Economic Group and Wilson Partners (AEG/WP) for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, makes some valuable contributions to deliberations about direct primary care. The AEG/WP team clearly explained their computations and made clear the assumptions underlying their report. This facilitates the public discussion that theContinue reading “Why did Wilson Partners’ research into DPC cost-reduction bypass uniquely available and pointedly relevant data?”
Selection bias infected the best documented argument that direct primary care reduced downstream costs.
An update appears at the bottom of the page. “Healthcare Innovations in Georgia:Two Recommendations”, the report prepared by the Anderson Economic Group and Wilson Partners (AEG/WP) for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, makes some valuable contributions to deliberations about direct primary care. The AEG/WP team clearly explained their computations and made clear the assumptions underlyingContinue reading “Selection bias infected the best documented argument that direct primary care reduced downstream costs.”
The marketplace reached a judgment about direct primary care pioneer, Qliance.
Note: In 2020, I posted an updated assessment of Qliance. Washington State is deservedly recognized as the birthplace and one of the most prominent frontiers for DPC, in large part because of Qliance. The Seattle-based DPC conglomerate is recognized as an exemplary market force in the private sector of health care. Major investors such asContinue reading “The marketplace reached a judgment about direct primary care pioneer, Qliance.”
“Trust us. We did studies.” AEG/WP have a special way of showing that direct primary care reduces the costs of downstream care.
“Healthcare Innovations in Georgia:Two Recommendations”, the report prepared by the Anderson Economic Group and Wilson Partners (AEG/WP) for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, makes some valuable contributions to deliberations about direct primary care. The AEG/WP team clearly explained their computations and made clear the assumptions underlying their report. This facilitates the public discussion that theContinue reading ““Trust us. We did studies.” AEG/WP have a special way of showing that direct primary care reduces the costs of downstream care.”
DPC advocates talk about lemonade stands. Strangely!
When an opinion piece in JAMA suggested that direct primary care might resemble primary care capitation plans sometimes tried by insurers in raising issues of allocating resources between primary care and other medical care, Kenneth Qiu, M.D. gathered enthusiastic approval from many supporters of direct primary for the following response. DPC looks like capitation butContinue reading “DPC advocates talk about lemonade stands. Strangely!”
DPC Referee 