Happy King Day!

The Senate will be in session on Capitol Hill this week following the holiday while the House of Representatives is hold a district work week.

Here are a few insightful pieces to consider:

  • A Wall Street Journal article blames humanity for cybersecurity problems. 

“History has shown us we aren’t going to win this [cybersecurity] war by changing human behavior. But maybe we can build systems that are so locked down that humans lose the ability to make dumb mistakes. Until we gain the ability to upgrade the human brain, it’s the only way.”

  • Kaiser Health News reports that the Affordable Care Act is spurring the development of  new markets, e.g., ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, for a form of concierge medicine known as “direct primary care.” 

“In direct primary care, patients pay about $100 a month or less directly to the physician for comprehensive primary care, including basic medication, lab tests and follow-up visits in person, over email and by phone. The idea is that doctors, who no longer have to wade through heaps of insurance paperwork, can focus on treating patients. They spend less on overhead, driving costs down. In turn, physicians say they can give care that’s more personal and convenient than in traditional practices.

“The 2010 health law, which requires that most people have insurance, identifies direct primary care as an acceptable option. Because it doesn’t cover specialists or emergencies, consumers need a high-deductible health plan as well. Still, the combined cost of the monthly fee and that plan is often still cheaper than traditional insurance.

“The health law’s language was “sort of [an] ‘open-for-business’ sign,” said Jay Keese, a lobbyist who heads the Direct Primary Care Coalition. Before 2010, between six and 20 direct primary care practices existed across the country. Now, there are more than 400 group practices.”

  •  Modern Healthcare in response to the President’s State of the Union call for a cure to cancer reports on the state of cancer research.  Good read.