A public health crisis is growing more acute in rural America, disproportionately impacting individuals with both Medicaid and Medicare (the “dually eligible”). Rural residents suffer a “rural mortality penalty,” with rurality and poverty as predictors of mortality. In one study, researchers found that the U.S. rural-urban age-adjusted mortality disparity rate for adults had widened, nearly…
Delivering high-quality, value-based care is a strategic goal for most US healthcare organizations, though the means to the end varies. For one senior-focused primary care provider, in-home care supplemented by telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) has proved to be the answer. Called Heal, the organization aims to bring the primary care experience to seniors…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made it a goal to move to electronic clinical quality measures (eCQM) by 2025. However, accountable care organizations (ACOs) often work with multiple EHR vendors and systems, which means they need makes eCQM reporting support. A NAACOS survey found that more than half of ACOs said…
Healthcare organizations nationwide are clamoring over social determinants of health (SDOH) screening and intervention strategies nowadays, but that wasn’t entirely the case even five years ago, according to Steve Miff, MD, the president and CEO of Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI). But that’s exactly what Miff was focused on in May of 2017—and even…
Proficient Health improves care delivery and reduces costs by facilitating better communication and delivery/exchange of clinical information across a wide range of providers with disparate systems. Our EHR companion supports better patient care, easier consults, improved operational efficiencies, enhanced in-network optimization and lowered costs for both healthcare providers and patients. Visit the Proficient Health…
On August 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released performance results for the ninth performance year (2021) of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The 2021 data represent the first full year of performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to impact Medicare spending and cause a high degree…
There are numerous health inequities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They experience lower rates of preventive screening; higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; lower life expectancy; and higher rates of pregnancy complications. If that’s not enough, they have been at nearly six times greater risk of dying from COVID-19. What…
The APG, America’s Physician Groups, one of the leading national associations representing physician groups involved in risk-based contracting, will be hosting its fall conference Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Entitled “Transitions 2022: APG Colloquium,”the conference will bring together a roster of high-powered healthcare policy leaders, as well as representatives of…
Doctors leaving medicine spells trouble for health care. And there’s real reason for concern. A few weeks ago, the Mayo Clinic released its most recent study on physician burnout, revealing the highest rate in the survey’s 10-year history. Sixty-three percent of responding physicians reported one or more characteristics of burnout, with many noting depersonalization, an…
Over the next 30 years, the Medicare program will account for nearly 80 percent of the increase in health care spending. This growth will continue to put pressure on the already dire situation facing the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund, which is expected to be bankrupt in 2028. Because of these looming fiscal issues, policy…