News Cut: January 27, 2008 Archive

What's your story?

Posted at 9:14 AM on January 27, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

Now that we've got News Cut's maiden voyage just about finished, it's time to tell the story that usually doesn't get told: the one about you.

So consider this your invitation to think about those people you know and those stories you know -- the ones where you say to yourself, "you know, this (person/problem/success story) deserves some attention."

But here's the thing: Think about people who do interesting things as a matter of everyday life, as opposed to the big philosophical debates that normally dominate news. I have nothing against them, but for the most part they're getting their due.

As an example, consider the Three Minute Tales concept I tested last month. These are stories that are somewhat related to the day's news, but they're not by themselves the day's news. Simple concept, eh?

I'll go anywhere, and talk to anybody who you find interesting. Ready? Go!

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The medical marketplace

Posted at 9:51 AM on January 27, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

A new Web site dedicated to the concept of consumer driven health care got a double boost today when both Minnesota Public Radio and the Star Tribune released stories on carol.com, a Web site that makes it easier for people to shop around for the best medical deal.

There's no Carol at carol.com, but there's a Tony -- Tony Miller -- who is the CEO of the Web site. He told Lorna Benson the concept of a medical marketplace is already driving down prices.

"You know what has happened since the last time I've been on this site? And I wish I could show this to you historically. I'll have to go back and see if I can archive it. But when we first produced these care packages, Park Nicollet was pricing their base price at $213 versus Minute Clinic's $30," says Miller.

Now the flu vaccination at Park Nicollet is listed at $34. That's a price drop of $183. Miller says it's proof that competition in health care is good for consumers.

Consumer-driven health care is a recent buzz phrase in the field. MPR took a look at the concept a couple of years ago in the award-winning series, Prescription for Change.

It certainly has its supporters; it also has its detractors because of some early research on who is most likely to be most involved in a health care plan that's consumer driven:

Early research shows that consumer-driven health care plans tend to appeal most to healthy people, the very people that help lower traditional insurance costs for everyone else. Albers says without these people in the insurance pool, traditional insurance rates will rise rapidly.

As more companies move toward creating a medical marketplace in their benefits plan, a study out this month from the Employee Benefit Research Institute is worth considering. It says the flaw in the idea is its dependence on an educated consumer.

Trying to “activate consumerism” by promoting consumer-directed health plans seems little different from past managed care attempts to stem out-of-control health costs by changing consumer behavior. But past (and current) “top down” approaches, structured without a better understanding of what consumers need to know and what they value, are likely to be ineffective over time. There is no research consensus that consumer-driven health benefits alone will contain health care costs.

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Ethics at the checkout

Posted at 11:15 AM on January 27, 2008 by Bob Collins (6 Comments)

Here's another one of those cases that lead me to ask: what would you do?

Home Depot makes a mistake at the checkout and a $199 tool scans for $.01. The sale is completed at $.01 before the store realizes the mistake. By then, the customer says "sorry, the transaction is completed."

Is it a case of a "deal is a deal"? Or is it more like a clerk that gives you too much change? And what do you do, then?

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