The Keckley Report

With 6 weeks to the mid-term election, one thing is certain: healthcare issues will be prominent in campaign rhetoric but the reality is not much will change until after 2024….

For the past 15 years, regulators have tried to reduce spending and improve quality by changing incentives from volume to value. Has it worked? Background: At the Federal level, policymakers…

This week, the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s life will take center stage leading up to her funeral September 19. The 96-year old’s longevity, the mystique of the monarchy and Britain’s…

Today begins the countdown to election day November 8: in 63 days, voters will elect 36 Governors, 30 State Attorneys General, 27 Secretaries of State, 35 US Senators, 435 US…

Last week, the DC-based Business Group on Health released its latest survey of Big Business’ views about U.S. healthcare: they’re worried about rising costs (as usual) and see a need…

The Federal Trade Commission issued a scathing 20-page report last Monday criticizing hospital Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) agreements and urging state lawmakers to suspend their use. “The FTC routinely…

Last week, a federal judge in Alabama approved a final settlement of $2.67 billion with Blue Cross Blue Shield companies in a 2012 lawsuit over alleged anticompetitive behavior that negatively…

The Labor Department reported Friday that the U.S. added 528,000 jobs in July including 69,600 in healthcare. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, June job openings were down to 10.7…

Last week, reports from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce confirmed what many suspected: the U.S. economy is in a down cycle and recovery is unlikely before mid-2023 at…

The labor market is tight. Inflation is at a 40-year high. Consumers are worried but still spending. And this week, 5 key indicators of the economy’s strength/vulnerability will be reported:…