CVS/Caremark Sends Letters to Tufts Members Containing Personal Information Like Medical Conditions/Meds Info to Wrong Patients–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 24

This is chapter 24 addressing flawed data this time.  The article said that CVS would not discuss this, well if you are in technology you know what happened, it was a rogue algorithm, in other words a programming error and this is what “The Attack of the Killer Algorithms” is all about.  This time it was private information sent to the wrong people but what’s it going to be next time.  If you read my series on the “Attacks” there’s tons more like this.  This why we need not rush the programming that takes place with developers.  Companies who put rushed deadlines on developers of software and push for releases before their time are fools, but it happens.

Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Digest & Links for All Chapters–How Math and Crafty Formulas Today Running on Servers 24/7 Make Life Impacting Decisions About You–Updated 3-11-2012

There’s one story above about people who don’t get jobs because data is flawed or mismatched and this is becoming more frequent and let’s not forget the huge profits made here with CVS selling data too.  There’s a few lawsuits floating around out there on this subject and the data sellers should be taxed as they make billions selling data they get for free.  How times do rogue algorithms like this attack the data they sell?  That’s a good question to ponder and it does and is getting to be more frequent. 

Consumers Lose More Privacy With New CoreLogic Credit Reporting–”Score” Marketed For Insurers and Employers To Gain Information-California Prohibits Potential Employers – From Using As Jan 1 - Killer Algorithms Part 8

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Independent Pharmacies Not Able to Compete with Big Chains and Fear Going Out of Business–They Don’t Have Same High Levels of Data To Sell to Profit- Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 23

So the patients at Tuffs were screwed with privacy and they get an “I’m sorry” for the mistakes the CVS algorithms made, but let’s don’t talk about the maybe billion dollars they made “selling’ your data too..don’t forget that happens.  The lawsuits below implicate the SEC 2010 statement from Walgreens on their intangible data profits. 

Walgreens And CVS Accused of Selling Customer Prescription Data in 2 Separate Law Suits-Sales for Marketing Data Continues and the Data Bases Gets Larger with Technology

This case fits the “Killer Algorithms” because what to do the recipients do?  They can’t talk to that algorithm and it made decisions and sent out flawed information, matched to the wrong person.  If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is why the entire Occupy movement got started as it’s not what you see but it’s rather the intelligence that runs in the background you DON’T see.  That’s the problem and issue as we base too much of the economy today on algorithms and making money selling data rather than investing in manufacturing and using more technology there. 

Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie

So there you have it, Chapter 24 of the Killer Algorithms and stay tuned for Chapter 25 when I find it..sadly the chapters will keep coming.  BD 

CVS Caremark Corp. said Friday that it mistakenly sent letters to about 3,500 Tufts Health Plan members, giving them personal information about the medical conditions and medications of other members enrolled in a supplemental Medicare plan managed by Tufts.

The mistake was due to an unspecified “programming error,” CVS Caremark, pharmacy benefits manager for the Tufts Medicare Preferred Plan, said in a statement.

“We are monitoring this situation and CVS Caremark’s response and outreach to Tufts Health Plan’s Medicare Preferred Plan members,” said Sonya Hagopian, vice president at Tufts Health Plan, which is based in Watertown and operates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

CVS Caremark spokeswoman Christine Cramer said the company would not discuss the incident beyond what it said in the statement.

http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2012/03/cvs-caremark-mistakenly-sends-personal-information-about-drugs-and-medical-conditions-wrong-members-medicare-prescription-plan/yuPzeD7N7uwbJkLSbWrJnO/index.html?p1=News_links

Technorati Tags: CVS,Caremark,drugs,conditions,healthcare,Heatlh IT,medications,algorithms,Massachusetts,Health Plan,flawed data

Conversations on End-of-Life Care with Ira Byock (Free Podcast)

What's the best way for a physician to talk with a patient? What are appropriate boundaries when it comes to patient care? How do palliative care and hospice work together? What's right - and wrong - about our approach to end-of-life care in the United States?





The answers to these and other questions posed by Hospice Foundation of America's Hank Willner, M.D., are contained in an audio interview with Ira Byock, M.D., a national leader in end-of-life care. Their interview marks the debut of HFA's audio program, Professionally Speaking, available at no charge on HFA's website to listen online or download.

Small Businesses Question Health Insurance Tax Being Affordable–Economics Have Changed Since Law Was Written-Tax “Millionaire Data Sellers” Instead - Much Bigger Pot To Make Up for Lost Budget Funds

If you read here often enough you may have stumbled across my little campaign to tax the profits that banks, corporations, high frequency traders, drugs store chains and so on make getting “data for nothing and the profits for free”.  The potential is huge if Walgreens made just under $800 million on their SEC statement in 2010 and I would almost guess they could have broke a billion in 2011. 

Why should the big conglomerates profit so heavily and the “algorithmically generated profits” be so high?  There’s no incentive to set up factories and hire people when a company can grab a couple programmers, write the web mining algos and start running a few queries and reports and sell the data which they get for free.  We try and base too much of our economy today on algorithms and while we need them, we all need balance with manufacturing too.  You know the best part of this idea is that insurance companies make millions selling data too so maybe a nice little revenue/tax bonus here and they still make enough to keep shareholders happy to boot. 

Here’s my thoughts on this topic and the average consumer has no clue that all this is made as you can’t see, touch, feel or talk to those algorithms but they have teeth and take your money and your data behind scenes if written to “maximize financial dollar profits” whether they are accurate or not.

Start Licensing and Taxing the Data Sellers of the Internet Making Billions of Profit Dollars Mining “Free Taxpayer Data”–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 17 - “Occupy Algorithms”– Help Stop Inequality in the US

Small businesses are being pinched and this is no exception.  It’s not that the Healthcare Law was bad but the economy evolved and a few modifications are needed, and especially in the math areas.  Nobody is accountable there and with some of the big data capabilities coming in it’s hard to get to the bottom with multiple layers of code running.  By the way thanks to all who are now searching for “The Attack of the Killer Algorithms” on search engines as it looks like that’s becoming a keeper. 

There are many very good provisions of the Healthcare law and who’s the fool that thinks this doesn’t need to be revisited and adjusted all the time, it’s the world we live in so a total repeal like some folks talk just shows a lot digital illiteracy with politicians and lawmakers. 

I said a while back that our new consumer protection chief better have some good understanding of math and algorithms as big business is using all of it for profit. I have no problem with companies making profits but when technological formulas are widening the inequality someone needs to dig in here and get with the math and algos.  The link below has about 20 chapters on the Attack of the Killer Algorithm examples if you want to dive in further and see how formulas that run on servers 24/7 make life impacting decisions about out with a bunch of flawed data in the works.  BD 

President Appoints Richard Cordray as New Consumer Financial Protection Chief - Hope He Knows And Understands Correcting Flawed Math and Formulas To Battle the “Financial Attack of Killer Algorithms” On Consumers With Banks and Corporate USA

Small businesses are very mindful of their spending especially when it comes to healthcare. The Health Insurance Tax that's included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is raising eyebrows among business owners.

He's talking about the Health Insurance Tax that's included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

http://www.khastv.com/news/local/Tax-143727746.html

Technorati Tags: Healthcare,taxes,small businesses,affordable care act,jobs,economics,algorithms

Alaska Senator Defends Ban of Unilateral DNR Orders

Alaska Senator Fred Dyson has an op-ed in the Alaska Dispatch defending his proposed SB 172.  He writes:  "In a recent meeting with the Providence Executive Leadership Team, I was told that the doctor always has the last word on a DNR order, regardless of patient consent. Providence maintained this was true even if the patient had full capacity to make all their own health care decisions and understood the risks and benefits of an attempt at CPR."  Dyson continues:  "The question is whether current law gives a patient, with capacity, the right to make a DNR order ineffective. I maintain it does, and SB 172 seeks to clarify the meaning of existing language in the law."

Roche Cutting the Price of 2 Cancer Drugs in India To Potentially Avoid Compulsory Law Provisions That Allows Generic Drugs When Cost Is Not Affordable

It was just last week that India took the very first step to make cancer drugs more affordable with Bayer and it looks like Roche might see some writing on the wall.  We all know how expensive cancer drugs are and how unaffordable they can be for the patients who need them most.

India Authorizes Local Drug Manufacturer to Make and Sell Generic Copy of Patented Bayer Cancer Drug To Make It Affordable

By jumping ahead of the game and making the drugs affordable up front they could stand to remain outside of the laws in India and again hopefully they will be affordable.  The two drugs Herceptin and Mabthera will also be renamed to market under a different name.  After last week I wondered if some flood gates would begin to open and it looks like pharmaceutical companies, at least Roche took notice.  BD 

Roche Holding AG is cutting the price of two expensive cancer drugs in India—and giving them new names—in an effort to gain market share and avoid competition from generic drugs in the fast-growing economy.

The move marks a shift for the Swiss drug maker, which long has argued that consumers everywhere should pay the same price for its medications. By giving the drugs new names in India, Roche hopes to avoid losing pricing power elsewhere, though it isn't clear the company will succeed on that score.

The arrangement involves Herceptin and Mabthera, the wholesale costs of which are about $3,000 to $4,500 a month per patient. Tuygan Goeker, head of Middle East and Asian markets at Roche, said the prices would be cut in India starting next year, though he declined to say by how much. By offering lower-priced versions, Roche also aims to avoid being compelled under Indian law to allow generic-drug makers to produce less-expensive copies.

Roche's plan also partly is aimed at preventing India from demanding a so-called "compulsory license" for Roche drugs, which would allow a generic-drug maker to make less-expensive copies. Indian law gives the country's patent regulator such authority if a medicine is priced beyond patients' reach.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577297673910205972.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Technorati Tags: Roche,cancer,drugs,India,generic drugs,laws,Herceptin,Mabthera,pharma

Worried If your ACO Is Going to Be Too Costly? HCP Offering Accountable Care Reinsurance–Once You Figure Out What Your ACO Model Is…

It didn’t take long for this to pop up especially with so many unknown factors that are out there today as even the best laid plans with analytics are in a model, technology can show up tomorrow and throw a left hook at any time.  We have a lot of created and non-created disruptions in healthcare and some good and some not so good.

ACO Stop Loss Reinsurance is the actual name and there premiums paid and it can be spread over a number of payments.  Many managed care organizations have purchased re-insurance policies as well and sells malpractice insurance to doctors as a primary business. 

Last year in the Cayman Islands, Aetna took out a reinsurance policy in case their medical operating loss numbers went over 104%.  BD 

Aetna Takes Out Reinsurance Deal In The Cayman Islands- $150 Million to Kick When Medical Loss Ratio Hits 104%

HCP National Insurance Services, Aliso Viejo, Calif., is now offering accountable care organization reinsurance for participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

The company, which also specializes in providing medical malpractice insurance, described reinsurance for ACOs as “a big growth area” for the company in a news release.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120322/NEWS/303229960/

Technorati Tags: ACO,reinsurance,healthcare,doctors,finance,risk,budgets,Medicare

IBM Watson Going to Work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center–Data Loading and Training To Begin

This is actually very good to compile cancer data and we can certainly learn from it.  The process will take a while as the data has to be fed in.  When used for diagnosis knowledge, patient input, drugs, and so forth this is great.  Even big data has the same issues though as what we have used for years and that is being assured of what data you load as it’s still a machine.  At the end of 2011 it was also announced that on the west coast that Cedar Sinai was going to explore the system for the same or similar purposes. 

Wellpoint to Bankroll Use of IBM Watson at Cedar Sinai Medical Center to Research Cancer Data/Information To Provide Guidance for Physicians

For research this is great but hold your breath before bringing in the coding and billing portions of all of this as that’s where caution is needed.  If you read the news today how many stories, and there are tons of them with coding, billing and reimbursement thus if one leaves the work of Watson to research and clinical areas without that mess, we might have some good intellectual break throughs.  I commented on that a while back as when you have multiple layers of new code running through the machine does what it learns and is taught and you run close of getting to a bottomless pit at times, but again for research and clinical use this is a good deal. 

Machine Learning Software Working Behind the Scenes Should Move With Caution in Healthcare-Writing the Unreadable With Rogue Algorithms With No Human Intervention

As the article states it’s going to be a while before the Watson processes are going to be available for use and data integrity along with credibility is going to be key in the preparation.  On the other side of the coin though in the financial areas, something for consumers to be aware of with big data as nobody checks the math of banks and a lot of the big investment firms so more place to hide code to enable desired results more so than accurate results as we know what happens when money is involved.  The SEC certainly is going to need some “big data” capabilities soon or as consumers we are sunk.     

IBM Watson Going to Work At Citigroup on Wall Street–Congress Didn’t See Big Data As A Tool (Hadoop Framework) When They Had Their Chance…For Consumers The Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Chapter 22

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When left to it’s own, and not regulated and audited, we get what I have written about below with formulas running a muck and hurting consumers.  BD

Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Digest & Links for All Chapters–See How the Math and Crafty Formulas Today Running on Servers 24/7 Make Life Impacting Decisions About You

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The medical training of IBM’s speedy Watson computer will continue with a residency at a renowned Manhattan cancer hospital.

IBM and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center said Thursday that they will add the latest in oncology research — and the hospital’s accumulated experience — to Watson’s vast knowledge base, and keep updating it.

Watson will be fed textbooks, medical journals and — with permission — individual medical records. Then it will be tested with more and more complicated cancer scenarios and assessed with the help of an advisory panel, Kohn said. It’s expected to speedily suggest diagnoses and recommend treatments, ranking several alternatives.

Watson can even be instructed about individual patient preferences, Kohn said. When evaluating treatments, for example, it could take into account that a patient feels strongly about not losing her hair.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/ibms-famed-watson-computer-to-be-trained-in-cancer-to-diagnose-treat-patients-at-ny-hospital/2012/03/22/gIQA2RPtSS_story.html

Technorati Tags: BMWatson,technology,machine learning,computers,digital illiteracy,queries,intelligence,algorithms,cancer,big data,Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,medical records