Bundled payments have been a popular topic of discussion in the world of accountable care. In fact, some research shows that bundled payments and accountable care will make up two thirds of all payments by 2020. But the results of a study recently released by the RAND Corporation showed that as a payment model, bundled payments simply fell short.
Open enrollment doesn’t start for a couple more days, but if you’re shopping around the health insurance marketplace, you know that the “window shopping” phase of enrollment has already begun. If you remember the marketplace 1.0 fiasco from last year, and are hesitant to give the new and improved page a go, here’s a rundown of what you can expect when you head over to sign up.
It’s almost time for open enrollment - and this year, there are some changes to Medicaid that might affect you, depending on what state you live in. So far, states have begun expanding their Medicaid programs, with the help of additional federal funding. This funding for Medicaid expansion is meant to provide assistance to adults who are under 65 years of age, and therefore don’t qualify for Medicare yet, who are at 138% of the poverty level in terms of income.
The healthcare revenue cycle management environment is ever-changing, but continued advances in technology help healthcare professionals be more effective and efficient during each step of the process. Thanks to new software, increased portability, and a transition to electronic health records, ease of use is increasing swiftly.
Unless you’re a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse, you may not remember that Psychology 101 course you took in medical school, but if you want to improve patient satisfaction, you might want to revisit it. When we focus on medicine as being an entirely “hard science” and we focus on test results, data and what we can palpate or visualize, we are leaving out a very important facet of the patient’s healthcare experience - feelings.
For most healthcare systems, the ongoing dilemmas surrounding streamlining emergency room services are some of the most challenging in the industry today. Since ER’s can really make or break hospital’s patient satisfaction scores, and therefore, reimbursement, tackling these challenges sooner rather than later is probably in the best interest of most hospitals - one Florida hospital has already completely overhauled the concept of emergency room care through clinical operations and is now setting a high bar for ERs around the country.
In the wake of Ebola, healthcare systems worldwide are focusing more than ever on defining - and refining - their population health initiatives. Smart thinking on multiple accounts, if you think about where we’re headed in terms of healthcare reform. Hospitals that are moving towards population health initiatives now will be far better prepared for the overall shift to accountable care that’s on the horizon.
When we think of costly health conditions, the first that comes to mind for many is cancer. Treatment costs alone can bottom out even the best insurance plans. But did you know that behavior health conditions cost just as much per year as cancer? At a whopping $57 million per year, behavioral health conditions are one of the most costly health conditions in the United States today. While behavioral health conditions are rampant, they often don’t get as much attention as their more physical counterparts. Research tells us that mental health woes like anxiety and depression can greatly worsen, or at the very least contribute to, chronic pain conditions and even affect the length of our lives - but these conditions are often not diagnosed and treated effectively, or, in conjunction with the other comorbidities of a particular patient with complex health needs.
When we look at the fee-for-service model from only one perspective, it’s easy to condemn it as “the reason” healthcare spending has spiraled out of control. When it comes to how providers bill for services, having the ability to bill for anything and everything could, and certainly did, encourage the ordering of too many tests and procedures, even unnecessary ones. The idea of value-based payment models not only encourages providers to make more mindful choices, but cost-effective ones too. It also challenges healthcare systems, pharmaceutical companies and patients to be even more vigilant about healthcare costs. Fees are relative to each party involved.
Here's an oldie but goodie: Trick or Treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat! BHM wishes you a Happy and Safe Halloween! Don't let the goblins get you!