Type 2 diabetes (T2D) disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority groups. Black Americans are 50% more likely to have T2D, and are at higher risk for complications, than whites.1 They are also the group with the highest rates of obesity. 40% of Latinos with T2D have not been formally diagnosed, and 45% struggle with obesity….
Value-based care encompasses a broad variety of payment models in which health care providers are incentivized to provide better care at lower costs. Eleven years ago, we began presenting information on accountable care organizations (ACOs) including the count of distinct organizations entering into accountable care contracts and the number and distribution of lives covered by…
For decades, the level and growth of US health care spending has diverged from both international and domestic norms, leading many to characterize rising health expenditures as “unsustainable.” Between 1970 and 2019, total US health spending grew from 6.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 17.7 percent of GDP, according to the Centers for…
Imagine going into your doctor’s office and facing not a staff of overworked doctors and nurses, but an inviting conversation. A talk with a healthcare professional who has plenty of time, isn’t in a hurry and is ready to listen to a recital of the different aches and pains of your life. Someone with expertise…
Over my nearly 40-year career as an internist in St. Louis, I’ve had the great fortune of practicing in a clinical and economic context that has allowed me to have very rewarding experiences taking care of my patients and building many lasting relationships. It has been frustrating to watch our industry evolve, pushed by regulation,…
Health care in America traditionally is paid on a fee-for-service basis, with doctors billing and getting reimbursed for each service they provide. But in recent years, growing numbers of doctors and payers have been experimenting with value-based payment models, under which doctors are paid based on how well they care for patient populations while controlling…
Concern is mounting around whether current health equity initiatives will be a flash in the pan or yield long term improvement on reducing disparities in hospice care among communities of color. Racial disparities in end-of-life care access have long proliferated, but in recent years health care providers and regulators have been paying closer attention, particularly…
What You Should Know: – Value-based care (VBC) has been established as a priority among healthcare organizations and payers as participants have gained more experience in managing their quality metrics and contracts, ultimately realizing returns on their investments. – For their latest report, Value-Based Care Reimbursement 2022, KLAS talked to 54 healthcare executives—including CEOs, CFOs, CIOs,…
In a previous post, we demystified the Alternate Payment Model Performance Pathway (APP) and explained how, by partnering with a Clinical Data Registry experienced in data aggregation and result submissions to CMS, you can avoid the bugaboos falsely attributed to APP reporting—perceived high costs and impossible timelines. Here we’ll show you how to leverage your…
It’s easy to focus on patient complaints in the healthcare setting. Injuries, worrisome labs and other symptoms are obvious red flags for patient health. But medical interventions like these influence patient outcomes only 20 percent of the time or less. Social determinants of health affect the remaining 80 percent. When we talk about SDOH, we…