The CommonWell Health Alliance and the Carequality framework have solidified their connection, boosting interoperability among members and allowing providers to more easily exchange data with each other even if they’re on different electronic health record systems. CommonWell’s new connection to the Carequality framework, which on Friday becomes available to all the groups’ participants, promotes interoperability…
Healthcare blockchain technology has the potential to transform patient care, observed Bill Frist, a heart and lung transplant surgeon, former Senate majority leader, and chairman of the executive council of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company. Blockchain will be able to break down EHR silos, simplify revenue cycle reconciliation and healthcare supply chains,…
Social determinants of health are becoming increasingly mainstream. From health plans to health lawyers to Secretary Alex Azar, seemingly everyone in the healthcare realm now acknowledges that social determinants are a legitimate cause of poor health outcomes and health disparities and, more importantly, need to be addressed. Now a new series in the New England Journal…
Innovation is vital to the evolution and sustainability of the American healthcare system, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to be part of the transformation, according to its administrator. In a speech on Thursday to the Alliance for Connected Care Telehealth Policy Forum for Health Systems, CMS Administrator Seema Verma…
As the healthcare industry continues to adopt and implement new methods of technology, it is vital for health systems to stay engaged with their clinicians and patients to better understand and promote the practices that work best for their end users. These were some of the insights Reid Conant, MD, chief medical information officer at…
Humana released its annual value-based care report detailing how tying payment to performance outcomes affected Medicare Advantage patients and their providers. The physician-written report, titled “The Intersection of Health + Care,” considers quality metrics and prevention measures for 2017. About 1.74 million Medicare Advantage members who see physicians under value-based reimbursement models were included in…
Medicare Advantage insurers that miss enrolling dual-eligibles are missing an opportunity, said Change Healthcare, which has introduced a combination of artificial intelligence and behavioral science to identify candidates. WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT Enrolling individuals dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid is good business for insurers who are already in the Medicare Advantage space. While this population…
New drugs offering a cure for hepatitis C patients hit the market a few years ago with jaw-dropping price tags. A 12-week course of treatment could eliminate the deadly liver infection, but at a cost of nearly $100,000. So Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health Plan sought to ensure it would get the most bang for its…
Excerpt: “Social determinants of health is an abstract term, but for millions of Americans, it is a very tangible, frightening challenge: How can someone manage diabetes if they are constantly worrying about how they’re going to afford their meals each week? How can a mother with an asthmatic son really improve his health if it’s…
In a recent post, we addressed the many types of population health initiatives and some guidelines for creating the most benefit. Now let’s take a closer look at one of those guidelines: integrating population health into regular or routine care of patients—specifically, with greater involvement and communication by the patients’ physicians. ACOs and their participating…