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News Clips
HealthcareNOW: (2/2) - On this episode of the HealthcareNOW Podcast, Michael Sisti and Lisa Stockdale of Silver Cross discuss how a practical value-based care strategy can be implemented in independent provider communities using examples from their experiences. They also discuss how COVID-19 has significantly impacted the way that independent hospitals and provider communities do business.
Health Affairs: (2/1) - A key priority for CMS in the months ahead will be supporting and stabilizing state efforts around Medicaid. In this blog, authors outline the need for CMS to be more assertive in supporting greater Medicaid reform to improve health and wellbeing for beneficiaries. The blog lays out key recommendations that can be organized in two categories: new models, demonstrations, and programs developed by CMS that could be adapted and implemented by states; and waivers and other investments led by CMS.
Healthcare Financial Management Association: (2/1) - Initiatives to reform the health care payment system and support the shift toward value-based care could also help transform the health care system to be more equitable. This article explores pathways to do so, including emphasizing primary care as a part of health care improvement efforts.
Vox: (2/1) - U.S. health care monopolies have led to the highest medical costs in the world. In his previous role as California Attorney General, HHS Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra oversaw one of the largest antitrust settlements in health care in US history. To tackle market consolidations of hospitals and physician practices, Becerra could take action to increase antitrust enforcement to lower health care costs.
StarTribune: (1/30) - Independent practices in Minnesota are still awaiting vaccine shipments despite being one of the high priority groups in the state. The delay in distributing vaccines to independent clinics, while large health systems received vaccines six weeks ago, was largely due to the state’s hub-and-spoke model for vaccine distribution rooted in the large health systems. Staff at independent clinics in the state are continuing to seek answers and clarity around when to expect vaccines to be delivered for providers and high-risk patients.
American Medical Association: (1/29) - Two AMA member physicians weighed in on how doctors can best help their patients to overcome COVID-19 fatigue and stay safe. Among the suggestions included recognizing signs of COVID fatigue, seeking mental health care, finding ways to have community, creating a schedule, and continuing to follow preventive measures.
Concord Monitor: (1/29) - Primary care practices in New Hampshire have experienced an inundation of calls and inquiries about vaccine distribution in recent weeks, placing additional pressure on these practices that are already struggling with the level of inquiries received during the pandemic and that do not have the staffing capacity to promptly respond to patients on top of other routine tasks. Small practices feel the state did not have such practices in mind when developing vaccination plans or how patients would receive answers to their questions.
Harmony Solutions: (1/28) - Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) can be helpful to transition to value-based care, as it can enable providers to gain insight into their specific performance and compare it to pre-determined benchmarks. This article recommends several KPIs to assess progress in the value-based care system: readmission rates, patient-reported outcomes, and patient experience or engagement.
Revcycle Intelligence: (1/27) - Earlier this year, the American College of Physicians published a policy statement calling for adequate physician reimbursement for all COVID-19 vaccines and their administration. The group also made recommendations about the provision and distribution of the vaccine, stressing the importance of communication and collaboration among physicians and other vaccinators to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
mHealth Intelligence: (1/27) - The Connected Health Initiative launched the Value-Based Care Task Force, which aims to ensure connected health tools and concepts are included in conversations around transforming the health care system to embrace value-based care. The group will publish a white paper outlining how to amend federal laws to support connected health strategies that advance value-based care, change federal regulations to support connected health strategies in payment systems, and work with payers to incentivize connected health in value-based care initiatives.
Healthcare Finance News: (1/27) - In this episode of HIMSS TV, SVP and chief product officer of athenahealth Paul Brient predicts that 2021 will bring more value-based care and telehealth visits will even out.
AHIP: (1/27) - In this blog and episode of the Next Big Thing in Health podcast, AHIP interviewed Dr. William Shrank, Chief Medical Officer at Humana, on value-based care initiatives and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Shrank noted that making the shift to a health care system that focuses on the patient as a consumer and that delivers care and services to the right place at the right time in the workflow of the patient’s life is important in the delivery of health care moving forward.
Fierce Healthcare: (1/26) - A new report from Kaufman Hall revealed that physician net revue was down by 4.5 percent in 2020. The report calls for practices to continue to shift away from fee-for-service Medicare and for the payer mix away from commercial plans to Medicaid due to job losses stemming from COVID-19.
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