News Clips
Harvard Business Review: (3/9) - Given financial difficulty providers have faced during the pandemic, the trend of consolidation in the health care system will likely continue, reducing competition and increasing prices. For example, a study found that acquisition of physician practices by hospitals in California were linked to higher prices for primary care and specialist services and to increases in premiums. This brief calls for Congress and regulators to take action to assess the impact of health care consolidation that adversely impacts payers and patients and prohibit or restrict the use of anticompetitive practices.
STAT: (3/9) - Many provider groups have been advocating for the need to include primary care providers in the vaccine rollout process, particularly when it comes to a successful campaign for mass vaccinations of seniors. However, many practices in California are struggling with accessing operational guidance on managing minimum order thresholds and following strict timelines set by the California Department of Public Health to responsibly handle the pre- and post-vaccination process. The article calls on public health officials to change the timeline for vaccine utilization to account for logistical challenges of vaccinating seniors, accumulate a centralized waitlist of patients interested in getting vaccinated, and give funding directly to providers for vaccine administration to reduce administrative burden for providers and better mobilize the vaccination effort.
PR Newswire: (3/9) - Cedar Gate Technologies, a value-based care performance management company, partnered with Privia Women’s Health to launch a value-based program to deliver high quality women’s care to patients across Texas. The program would create transparent pricing and improve quality of care through its prospective bundled payment program.
Medical Economics: (3/9) - To achieve value-based care and health equity, the health care workforce must be improved to ensure a high-value system that delivers equitable outcomes. Health care transformation must include scalable educational solutions and a focus on workforce competency and development to support the movement and drive success toward value-based care.
Revcycle Intelligence: (3/8) - The American Medical Association wrote a letter urging Congress to address “imminent threats” to physician practice viability in the COVID-19 relief bill being considered. Specifically, the AMA called on Congress to consider extending the moratorium of the two percent Medicare sequester which is set to expire on April 1 and the possibility of another four percent Medicare sequester triggered by the American Rescue Plan. The additional Medicare sequester could result in cuts to physician payment up to $36 billion.
Medpage Today: (3/8) - In its draft recommendations for possible inclusion in its June report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) said CMS should reduce its portfolio of alternative payment models (APMs). MedPAC recommended the HHS Secretary implement a more coordinated portfolio of fewer APMs that reduce spending and improve quality.
Milbank Memorial Fund: (3/5) - For many patients, trust in the health system lies with their primary care physician. This blog by Dr. Jackson Griggs, CEO of Waco Family Medicine Center, explores how his FQHC leveraged the trust of its community to promote positive behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic while also promoting equity in practices and policies and encouraging vaccine uptake.
Revcycle Intelligence: (3/4) - Organizations like Collaborative Health Systems (CHS) are helping providers transition to value-based care through providing practitioners with resources they cannot afford upfront to take part in such models. Next Generation ACOs sponsored by CHS have generated $54.2 million in savings since 2017, returning about $33.2 million back to providers through shared savings payments. CHS is planning to move some of its participants in Next Gen ACOs to the Direct Contracting Model, and is preparing physicians and practices for success by providing them with tools, data, and the workflow to support the level of care required.
Fierce Healthcare: (3/4) - According to a report by the American Medical Association, Medicare physician spending declined by $9.4 billion (19 percent) in the first six months of 2020 as a result of COVID-19. The report also showed that Medicare spending on physician services dropped 57 percent below expected pre-pandemic levels in April.
Inside Health Policy: (3/3) - The Senate version of the American Rescue Plan Act included $8.5 billion in funding for provider relief. While not the $35 billion that providers had advocated for, the funding would support rural providers that have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fierce Healthcare: (3/3) - Humana and the University of Houston launched a course aimed at assisting health professionals in learning how to implement value-based care. The specialization track includes six courses and a capstone project, and will focus on embedding value-based care into the education of medical students to help with the process of shifting away from a fee-for-service health care system.
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