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Bruce Japsen

bjapsen

Bruce Japsen is a veteran health care journalist. In addition to his columns for Motley Fool, he is a regular contributor to Forbes and is the author of the new book, "Inside Obamacare: The Fix for the Nation's Ailing Health Care System," which is part of Forbes' signature series of ebooks this year. He is also a regular contributor to the New York Times, Chicago Medicine magazine, and Life Matters Media. He contributes analysis on the Affordable Care Act and other health care topics for CBS’ WBBM in Chicago, PBS affiliate WTTW's Chicago Tonight and Fox News' Forbes on Fox, among other radio and TV outlets. He teaches at Loyola University Chicago and the University of Iowa Journalism School's Masters in Strategic Communication program.

Recent Articles by Bruce Japsen

Mar 30, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Medicare Is Pushing Care Forward: Here's Who Benefits

Health insurers are earning unprecedented scores on Medicare's Star Ratings, which rate health insurers' Advantage plans on a five-notch scale. This performance rewards insurers with bonuses and also attracts more beneficiaries to the Advantage plans they operate.

Mar 13, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

How Insurers and Wearables Will Change Healthcare

Health insurers and their employer clients are covering the cost of health wearables as part of an emerging trend that could benefit the insurance industry if it leads to better enrollee health. And the wearable companies are already benefitting from a new market of employers looking for healthy workers.

Feb 26, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Don't Forget About Obamacare's Medicaid Bonanza

31 states plus the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid benefits under the Affordable Care Act, and more states are turning Medicaid administration over to private insurers. That's good for the healthcare industry and insurance companies in particular.

Feb 17, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Healthcare Industry Sees a Sense of Urgency in Low Cost Centers

Hospital operators, insurance companies, and potentially retail drugstores see the addition of urgent care centers as a lower cost, consumer-friendly alternative to the hospital emergency room as the U.S. health system looks to keep a lid on rising healthcare costs.

Feb 11, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Can Insurers Survive Obamacare in 2016?

The nation's largest health insurers have yet to get a handle on medical expenses of the Affordable Care Act's individual insurance plans after two years, but year three could be the year they make money.

Jan 22, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Retail Pharmacies Move to Capture More Obamacare Dollars

As payments to medical-care providers are driven to value-based models and away from costly fee-for-service medicine, hospitals and health systems find the need for a closer relationship with retail pharmacies.

Jan 21, 2016 by Bruce Japsen

Fewer Obamacare Choices Could Boost Health Stocks

Health insurance companies trying to manage costs of customers buying products on public exchanges under the Affordable Care Act are offering more plans with limited choices to control costs and boost company profits.

Dec 28, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

The Race to Elevate Healthcare Into the Cloud

Technology and healthcare companies are betting big on cloud-based technology, which can save money and reward companies with the best ideas for reducing costs.

Nov 23, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

3 Obamacare Concerns for the Healthcare Industry

From an increase in uninsured patients who can't afford their premiums to issues verifying eligibility of customers, the Affordable Care Act's public exchange business is experiencing some growing pains that could dog health plan and hospital stocks if the issues that emerged in the third quarter persist.

Oct 19, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Could New ICD-10 Medical Codes Put the Health Industry in Sick Bay?

October is the first month health insurers and medical-care providers have to use new government-mandated ICD-10 medical codes. With reports that some weren't ready for the rollout, any glitches in this new system are something for investors to watch, given the historic bull run of healthcare stocks.

Sep 1, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Could Antitrust Scrutiny Derail Your Insurer's Next Move?

As the proposed Anthem-Cigna merger and the Aetna-Humana deal enter a period seeking antitrust clearance and government scrutiny, consolidating health insurers are facing a chorus of criticism from medical-care providers and consumer advocates. And it's something investors should keep an eye on amid the historic bull run of health-plan stocks.

Aug 5, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

UnitedHealth's "Urgent" Strategy Is Paying Off

UnitedHealth's Optum subsidiary is benefiting from the company's acquisition earlier this year of more urgent-care centers, a low-cost way for consumers to get quality medical care at a low price and keep patients out of the more expensive hospital emergency room.

Jul 25, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Why Insurers Will Make Money in Spite of Obamacare Rules

Health insurers are raising the prices of plans on public exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, but a new report shows another key way for insurers to make money via Obamacare is by narrowing provider networks and shedding higher-cost specialists and hospitals.

Jun 11, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Health Industry Dials Up Telehealth for Growth

Both health insurance companies and providers of medical care are investing in telehealth, which allows virtual patient care when patients can see doctors via mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers. More insurers are paying for it, which could help companies and their share prices if fewer health plan enrollees end up in expensive emergency rooms.

Jun 2, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Stocks To Watch: Private Exchange Health Benefits

Employers are moving millions of active employees and retirees to private exchanges to select their benefits -- a trend that could be a boon to companies offering such exchanges.

May 26, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Medicaid Stocks to Watch as Quality Ratings Emerge

The Obama administration will soon roll out new regulations for the Medicaid managed-care industry, which will face quality ratings akin to the measures for Medicare Advantage plans.

May 3, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Medicaid Expansion a Huge Boon for Insurers

More states are expanding Medicaid coverage for poor Americans under the Affordable Care Act, which means millions more potential customers for health plans that contract with states to administer benefits for low income Americans.

Apr 20, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Double-Digit Spike in Drug Costs Prescribes Profits for PBMs

A new report by employee benefit consultancy Aon Hewitt forecasts a 10% increase in employer drug costs through 2017, which puts a spotlight on pharmacy benefit management companies to assist employers, health plans, and government insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid to control prescription spending.

Apr 17, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

Incoming Healthcare Bonanza for Mobile Tech Companies?

As insurance companies and government health plans like Medicare move away from fee-for-service medicine to paying hospitals and health systems via a value-based model, it’s going to be a boon to health IT and mobile technology companies in the business of more aggressively monitoring and reaching out to patients.

Apr 4, 2015 by Bruce Japsen

This Healthcare Revolution Is Just Getting Started

Health insurance companies are spending billions of dollars to make sure the doctors and other medical-care providers they work with have the tools they need to move from fee-for-service medicine to value-based care and population health.

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