Massachusetts bill (H 1070/S 1093) adds to the definition of “medically necessary services” and challenges the notion of who decides medical necessity. Medical necessity criteria sits at the center of case and claim determinations. Laws, policies, and procedures evolve through time and the various administrations both locally and nationally.
Behavioral health claims skyrocket for any number and combination of factors. Behavioral health care will increase in cost and utilization with a number of factors driving this, including the:
The greatest need for mental health professionals are found in the more populated east coast and remote northern states. Large populations and rural settings significantly impact behavioral health staff shortages. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released the most current data. The table shows the 10 states with the worst behavioral health professions clinical coverage, the national average, and the 10 states with the best BH coverage.
Workers compensation treatment guidelines can help prevent unnecessary medical procedures and the prescribing of potentially harmful medications. However, they are not all the same, nor are they without challenges. Understanding a jurisdiction’s strengths/weaknesses, taking a strategic approach to developing guidelines, and using common sense can lead to better outcomes for injured workers—and, ultimately, lower costs for payers.
Despite industry uncertainty about the fate of healthcare under the new administration and Republican Congress, health system leaders move ahead and are preparing for the future. A recent Premier Inc. survey show the target areas for improvements within their systems. The results signal growth concerns and why the leaders will not wait for Capitol Hill results.
According to the CDC, drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Of the overdose deaths that occurred in 2015, 63 percent involved an opioid. Payer options for managing efforts against opioid overuse range from monitoring population data to working with provider networks.
The promises of value-based payment models came to life within the last 12+ months with results of real world tests. They quickly move to the implementation of useful models and processes. With ramped-up implementations overcoming value-based care barriers step out as real things.
Fighting the health plan disconnect to members and provider networks takes diligence and the basic understanding of customer needs. The technology tools integrated into consumers’ everyday lives set a very high expectation for services from their health plans and service providers.
WannaCry ransomware attack jumped cyber threat levels to new heights. Particularly hard hit were healthcare facilities in the UK. Three news articles summarize the attack and address healthcare industry’s vulnerability. The US missed the brunt of the lockdown because of an accident in the form of an entrepreneurial coder inadvertently tripping the “kill switch”. Cyber-attacks vulnerable healthcare industries missed the 10 years of preparation.
Responding to unreasonable hurdles for patients seeking care, a coalition including the American Medical Association (AMA) and 16 other health care organizations today urged health plans, benefit managers and others to propose prior authorization reform requirements imposed on medical tests, procedures, devices, and drugs.
