While the perpetual patching of the sustainable growth rate formula remains a thorn in physicians’ side, the Upshot section of the New York Times argues it has forced lawmakers to look for savings within the Medicare budget. That maneuvering has helped keep costs down, which was the intention of the flawed legislation. 

If it seems like it has become harder to get devices such as valves, stents, diagnostic imaging technologies and drugs covered under Medicare’s national coverage determination process—well, it has. So concludes an analysis published in the February issue of Health Affairs.

About one-fifth of the cost for retail prescriptions comes from patients’ pockets. To offset the expense, some patients cut corners.

Peripheral interventions by the cardiologist who captured headlines for billing Medicare $18 million are now under scrutiny, which prompted the New York Times to investigate the upsurge in peripheral stenting.

Implementing 2014 hypertension guidelines could save lives and money. A cost analysis study found that full implementation of hypertension guidelines could save 13,000 people from cardiovascular-related deaths and prevent 56,000 cardiovascular events annually.

Novel oral anticoagulants may beat warfarin for cost-effectiveness, but does that mean they offer a genuinely good value?

Today’s reimbursement models increasingly require physicians to be cost-conscious. Including cost analyses in trials will help them make good choices.

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina unveiled a database that allows consumers to compare treatment costs at hospitals. The tool shows wide variation in payments for cardiac procedures and imaging.