Why Nobody Believes the Numbers:
The Outcomes Measurement Guide for Grown-Ups

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And now, for Aetna's Latest Magic Trick: Watch Claims Costs Disappear

Intelligent Design Awards recognize those contributions which most set back evolution of the disease management and wellness fields. Just as engineers say that more is learned from a single bridge which collapses than from 100 which stay up, there are serious lessons to be learned from these humorous failures. (Note: DMPC is officially neutral on Intelligent Design vs. Evolution in general. Just not in disease management and wellness.)

Aetna presented this slide show at the National Business Group on Health. Note Page 19, 20 and 21. Aetna managed to slash "impactable" inpatient admissions (-32%) while reducing ER visits (-16%), PCP visits (-5%), specialist visits (-10%), and of course, pharmacy costs (-14%).

Where did the costs go? Where did the members get their care? What did the phone calls with the DM nurse sound like that caused people to stop taking meds and stop seeing their doctors, but still avoid medical events?

Magicians never reveal their secrets, but I will: Aetna does not know how to measure outcomes. Note, among other things, the complete lack of any type of plausibility testing.

But they do know how to impress NBGH.

Next Intelligent Design Award

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