• By Krista Zodet, President/CEO, HealthWell Foundation  |  Nov 19, 2014

    This Holiday Season, Give Emergency Relief to Cancer Patients

    “You have cancer.” Those devastating words send chills through us all. As the initial shock subsides the reality of unanticipated expense deals a second, unwelcome blow. We know from assisting more than 70,000 cancer patients with the cost of their treatments just how financially overwhelming and destructive a cancer diagnosis can…more.

  • By Jamie Elizabeth Rosen, Editor, Real World Health Care  |  May 14, 2014

    Four Ways Data is Transforming Your Health

    The increasing availability of data about health care in the U.S. is empowering patients to take charge of their care and quietly revolutionizing how patients are treated. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released data on which services were provided by over 880,000 health care providers, how…more.

    Categories: General
  • By Joel L. Zive, BS, PharmD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy  |  Mar 21, 2014

    Five Ways to Manage the Costs of Your Medicine

    While a main precept of the Affordable Care Act is to expand access to health care, in some cases that improved access means more patients are being treated with medications that come with a cost. As a pharmacist, I have to be an insurance sleuth, use common sense, and teach…more.

    Categories: General
  • By Jamie Elizabeth Rosen, Editor, Real World Health Care  |  Mar 12, 2014

    Our Top 4 Most ‘Liked’ Health Care Stories

    This week is Real World Health Care’s one-year anniversary. Over the past year, we showcased solutions that are proven to lower costs, increase access, and provide more patient-centered care. In celebration of this milestone, we are sharing the favorite posts as measured by Facebook ‘likes’ from our readers, who have…more.

  • By Joel L. Zive, BS, PharmD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy  |  Feb 26, 2014

    Three Ways You Can Reduce the Impact of Cardiovascular Disease this American Heart Month

    Most of the readers of this blog know that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of men and women in this country. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, CVD is a leading cause of disability, preventing Americans from working and enjoying family activities. Out-of-hospital cardiac…more.

  • By Jamie Elizabeth Rosen, Editor, Real World Health Care  |  Jan 31, 2014

    What’s Getting Lost in the Health Care Debate?

    Health care has never been more highly politicized than today. Last year, it was central to the third longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This week, it consumed a large chunk of President Obama’s State of the Union address. Every day, we are inundated by news of health exchange website…more.

    Categories: General
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Jun 19, 2013

    Does More Data = More Accurate Results?

    Every year U.S. News & World Report comes out with its “Best Hospitals” rankings, and providers wear them like a badge of honor. No doubt the recognition is prestigious. But how many people know why hospitals are ranked as they are? We decided to dig a little deeper and break…more.

  • By Mary P. Sundeen, President, The HealthWell Foundation  |  May 2, 2013

    Heroes Needed: Apply Within

    We’re taking a departure today from our coverage of what works in American health care to ask for your help. Patients want us to re-open our Breast Cancer Fund at HealthWell, but we can’t successfully do that until we identify several key companies or organizations to partner with us in…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings
  • By Linda Barlow  |  Apr 9, 2013

    Hospitals, Physicians Embrace Strategies To Reduce Cost of “Frequent Flyer” ER Visits

    Pardee Memorial Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C., shaved nearly $405,000 from its Emergency Room (ER) expenses over a one-year period thanks to an integrated program that its founder calls a “patient-centered medical home on steroids.” The program, Bridges to Health, helped its uninsured participants reduce their ER visits from an average…more.

    Categories: Cost-Savings