On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled its 2024 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. It includes changes to greatly increase access to behavioral healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries. Because many compliance rules in behavioral health will be changing in 2024, and simultaneously, a new set of behavioral health professionals will…
Attaining health equity remains a paramount objective for health care professionals aiming to transcend the impact of socioeconomic factors on individuals’ health outcomes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has emphasized advancing health equity to address care disparities. Despite this effort, many communities grapple with health care access and outcomes disparities, often exacerbated…
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized country, and it has increased in recent years. Other more common negative maternal health outcomes such as severe maternal morbidity are also on the rise. Improving the quality of perinatal care to address these poor maternal health outcomes is a pressing policy concern….
About a third of employers are integrating value-based care into their employer-sponsored insurance, according to a new survey. Another third of employers are determining the “best-fit strategies for their organization” when it comes to accountable care. The report was published Sunday by the Milken Institute with support from Morgan Health, a JPMorgan Chase healthcare unit…
Download Slides In the complex landscape of healthcare, quality reporting is a critical aspect that impacts both patient care and the operational efficiency of healthcare providers. “Navigating MSSP Quality Reporting: EHR Connection vs. QRDA-1” is a webinar designed to shed light on the intricacies of selecting the most effective reporting path for healthcare organizations….
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., have entered into a value-based care alliance to address three key priority health conditions: behavioral and mental health, diabetes, and infant mortality. The first initiative involves addressing the youth mental health crisis. As part of this alliance, nonprofit CareFirst has increased the reimbursement for preventive…
Established healthcare organizations, whether it be health systems, accountable care organizations, or independent provider groups often grapple with the dilemma of fully embracing risk. Fears of taking downside risk and capitation payments are intimidating given the known unknowns regarding participating in fully risk-based programs, regardless of whether one operates within the Medicare Shared Savings Program…
Everywhere you look today, artificial intelligence (AI) is making an appearance and offering to do something you already do smarter, faster or just a little more efficiently. Or it’s allowing new, exciting ways to look at old problems. Across health care, it’s opening up new opportunities to weigh risks and improve diagnoses, personalize medicine and…
Kaiser Permanente announced a significant AI partnership this week aimed at enhancing value-based care. The West Coast-based health system is deploying Innovaccer’s healthcare AI platform and population health management tools — starting with its Washington market and potentially expanding to new markets in the future. This initial deployment, which will serve about 650,000 Washington patients,…
On March 19, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new voluntary model—the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Primary Care Flex Model (ACO PC Flex Model)—which will test primary care capitation in CMS’s permanent ACO program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Under the model, monthly prospective primary care payments to MSSP ACOs will…