Bias, quality, and credibility are long-term research issues addressed by experts in many fields. Like other disciplines, the field of health economics continues to evolve and challenge itself in this regard. Improvements in this field of research necessitate support and adhesion to the highest quality work and integrity, promotion of continuous quality enhancement, and open dialogue. Definitio...

BACKGROUND Prior to the implementation of the Hospital-Acquired Condition-Present on Admission (HAC-POA) payment policy, concerns regarding its potential impact were raised by a number of organizations and individuals. The purpose of this study was to explore direct and indirect effects of the HAC-POA payment policy on hospitals, patients, and other payers during the policy's first 3 years of i...

The starting point of the debate about the pros and cons of multipayer systems is the suspicion that in many health care systems, consumers do not get sufficient value for money. This contribution argues that one cause may be a nonoptimal choice of payment systems. Optimal payment of health care providers importantly depends on the amount of information available to the (prospective) patient. I...