If proposed legislation allowing Americans to buy a Medicare policy at age 50, instead of 65, passes - who benefits? Is this a good idea we should be embracing immediately? Or is there a flip side to this coin that we haven't fully investigated? Ron discusses what moving the Medicare eligible age to 50 could mean for patients, employers, insurance …

A recent Kaiser Foundation study indicates we could save 350 billion dollars annually if we paid all physicians and hospitals at Medicare rates. It sounds good in theory, but what's the rest of the story? You can't reduce one person's expense without cutting another's revenue, so who bears the real cost of our "savings"? Ron discusses the real-worl…

2020 is over, back to normal - right? What can medical practices expect in 2021 as all of America tries to get back to what we had before the pandemic? Ron discusses patient volume, politics, and more as we look forward to a new year.By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

Congress is, to hopefully no one's surprise, overreacting. They're proposing legislation to limit the ability of hospital-based physicians to make a living, and decide for themselves the kinds of business relationships they enter, by passing a law forcing them to accept an arbitrary standard set by entities who stand to make a profit by doing it. I…

Ron discusses what could happen if COVID ran unchecked through America.By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

"COVID Fatigue" has become a real force in our lives. From the monotony of isolation to the stress of loss, it affects those of us "behind the lines" in real ways. What about those on the front lines of the fight? For them, the fatigue is littoral. Doctors, nurses, EMS, hospital staff, they've been at it non-stop for nine months, and if they tire, …

It applies to so many situations, "don't hate the player, hate the game". Insurance companies are playing the game according to the rules they have and they're making record profits. Do we hate them? Or the game they're forced to play to maximize their shareholders' investments? The system we have now incentivizes payers to make life miserable for …

So much is "up for grabs" in the next few months. Depending on the results of the election and the confirmation hearing, we could see Democrats take the Presidency and control of the Senate, as well as Republicans get the Affordable Care Act struck down by the Supreme Court. What would it mean if both sides got their way? What would happen to physi…

President Trump spoke on Thursday about his plans for the future of health care in our country. He even signed executive orders designed to advance his agenda - but what did they accomplish? Will the directives actually change healthcare as we know it, or were they primarily political "press releases" and little more? Ron discusses his take on the …

Candidate Biden has released a number of details regarding what he would do for health care in America if he becomes president. Ron reviews the proposal point by point and describes how Biden's planned changes would affect American consumers and the doctors who care for them. What should physicians do to prepare for the eventuality that some or all…

Ron discusses his thoughts on moving on with "life with COVID" and how moving forward can be more useful than continuing to hold onto past arguments regarding the virus.By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

We're six months into dealing with COVID as a fact of everyday life, what've we learned so far? So much has changed, and the outlook is mostly positive, but it's worth noting that the knowledge we've gained to now has been hard won at times. Ron discusses what we've learned and mistakes we've made as we've all dealt with novel Corona Virus 19.…

While the COVID crisis' impact on health and health care is unprecedented in many ways, its impact on the economy may be even more severe. The US GPD dropped 40% in one quarter, we've had the highest first-time unemployment claims ever in our history. We're spending money as fast as we can to try and climb out, more money than almost the rest of th…

Everyone thinks they're they best, that they're doing a great job, that they have their ducks in a row - right up until someone starts publishing "report cards". As the payers publish their ratings of your performance, are you prepared to respond? How will you stack up? Can you combat mistakes, can you answer to shortfalls? Today's patients are con…

You've heard it before, America has the most expensive healthcare in the world and we don't have much to show for it. The W.H.O. tells us our quality ranks 37th in the world behind countries like Columbia and Morocco. Does it? Take the politics out of it, and what's the real story? Even with unhealthy lifestyles - obesity, substance abuse, diabetes…

2019 seems like a decade ago. We were already concerned with the rising cost of health care and the portion of our total economy it accounted for. After COVID, health care finance will be even more brightly spotlighted. We spend more per capita than any other country on health care, nearly twice what the next country on the list spends, and we can'…

Capitation is coming back to some markets, are you ready? It can be helpful or harmful, a life-saver or devastating - it all depends on how you use it. Are you ready? Can you tell if a new cap agreement is good for you or bad? Do you have the data, and the knowledge, to compare a capitation contract to your current one? Ron discusses what practices…

Value based reimbursement has been talked about for years, but could the combination of a massive deficit, a wounded economy, and a world wide pandemic finally be what it takes to see it happen? Ron discusses why COVID may finally be what sets the dominos in motion on widespread adoption of value based reimbursement programs.…

A few months ago we were watching cases climb and predicting dire consequences for the US and the entire world. A few weeks ago we watched new cases decline and everyone was eager to get "back to normal". But did we? And have we made things worse? Ron discusses the second wave of COVID, and why a much needed attitude adjustment may help us get back…

We've asked it before, what will it be like for doctors in a post-COVID world? We take a closer look at three factors that will shape the new landscape: the economy, the rise of Telehealth, and the upcoming election. What can practices do to ensure they're successful "after"? You won't have to be perfect, but you will have to be better than the com…

After the pandemic, when life returns to something resembling "normal", what will medical practices need to do to stay afloat in a perhaps seriously damaged economy? The same challenges all businesses face will still be there, but what new obstacles will be placed in your path? Ron discusses the importance of developing both strategies and tactics …

Evolved consumers will have new demands of their physicians. Successful practices will identify and adopt strategies to work with their highly-informed patients. Practices that cling to the old ways of seeing and treating patients may find their patient populations shifting increasingly toward Medicare and Medicaid as more demanding and better-equi…

After the pandemic many industries will likely change the way they do business going forward. What could this mean for physician practices, and how must they evolve to survive and thrive? We'll discuss the possibilities of altered and reduced benefit plans, and their impact on physician business strategy as employers look for places to reduce expen…

What will the landscape look like after we've come through the other side of COVID and a presidential election? Depending on who wins, we could see very different approaches to getting the economy back on track, with very different consequences for medical providers. Ron discusses some of the possible steps Trump and Biden could take to help rebuil…

Economists are concerned we're heading for a "perfect storm", driven by COVID and made more severe by pre-existing economic pressures. In this series we'll be looking at the individual components, how they came together to form this perfect economic storm, and what physician practices can do to safely weather the deluge.…

We continue our look into what health care could look like post-COVID. We know a new, digital-native consumer will likely dominate the patient pool, but what other changes are we likely to see? What changes will a successful practice need to make to keep up - and ahead of - changing times?By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

We've all spent a month or more in government-ordered quarantine, is it finally time to open businesses and get back to "normal" life? The economy has taken an immense hit, but what are the health consequences of abruptly reversing our social distancing measures? Polar opposite answers to these questions have emerged, and as usual, the best answer …

What will the new consumer of health care look like after the pandemic? What will practices be looking for in "the right patient"? The digital age is going to catch up to practices, a successful group will have to be ready to accommodate patients who've grown up with instant access and digital self-service right from their phones. Phone prompt menu…

The massive impact the coronavirus has had on our economy has us asking what our government can do to help. Washington has taken a massive step with the recent stimulus, but what else can be done to help allocate resources for those most in need?By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

While there's no doubt the current steps we're taking to slow the spread of the virus has been harming the economy, it's important to remember health care providers and first responders aren't just braving infection to care for us, they're doing so while suffering the same financial harm many other businesses are. Visits are down, elective procedur…

We've all heard some version of what a "Surprise Billing" law might do - namely, protect us from huge bills from out-of-network physicians when we go to an in-network hospital. But what would it really mean for such a law to be put in place?By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

Ron Howrigon weighs in on recent statements, the advance of the virus, and the stimulus bill that remains "in the works".By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies

Helping stop the coronavirus spread is essential not only to our own health, but to the health of the economy. The world is dealing with a health crisis unparalleled in most of our experiences - but once we get through it, what challenges might we face with the economy? We discuss the possible impact of the COVID-19 virus on the world's financial h…

What would it actually cost to implement Medicare for All? Several candidates are championing the idea, but is it feasible? What would it do to the economy if we attempted it? What would happen to the demand for care and how would physicians and hospitals respond to such a program? Ron Howrigon of Fulcrum Strategies discusses his take on these ques…

This is the first installment in a series of podcasts from Fulcrum Strategies president Ron Howrigon devoted to his book, Flatlining: How Health Care Could Kill the US Economy.By informational podcasts by Fulcrum Strategies