CVS/Aetna Acquisition: Survey Predicts ‘Risky Business’
With the CVS/Aetna acquisition, payers are grappling with new risk and a slack consensus on how to best prioritize and respond to them.
Health Plans Adopt APMs: Study Shows Market Penetration
Health plans of all sizes are interested to learn where they stand in the movement toward alternative payment models (APMs) – that is, shared savings, shared risk, bundled payments, or population-based payments and how they compare to the market. Some health plans adopt APMs because of market conditions, others by factors such as data system limitations or provider readiness.
Uninsured Numbers Growing In Unexpected Areas, Survey Finds
There was a significant change in uninsured numbers growing for people ages 35 to 49, adults making more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($47,520 for an individual and $97,200 for a family of four), and those living in states that have not expanded Medicaid, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey. Policy fixes like expanding Medicaid in all states, making premium subsidies available to more people, and assisting consumers as they shop for coverage on the marketplaces, the report finds, could address some of the barriers the uninsured face in gaining coverage.
Insurance Markets Stabilization: Bipartisan Proposal From Governors
The governors John Kasich of Ohio, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Bill Walker of Alaska, Terence R. McAuliffe of Virginia, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana, and Steve Bullock of Montana sent a letter to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate asking them to take immediate steps to restore insurance markets stabilization structures. The letter was sent ahead of the testimony governors are expected to offer to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee on September 7.
Alternative Payment Models In Medicaid: Is MACRA A Catalyst?
Health plans benefit from monitoring changes to Medicaid MCO contract requirements, including those related to alternative payment models (APMs) adoption. MCOs with APM experience may have a competitive advantage when bidding on state contracts; conversely, MCOs that lack the capacity to implement APMs may be at risk of losing Medicaid business.
Autism Care Costs: Healthcare’s Perfect Storm
Autism care costs balance in the middle of many competing issues and agendas leaving payers, providers, and consumers trying to sort out the facts from fictions. The size of the funding pie “…over the next 10 years [is] about a half a million youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will enter adulthood. The majority of the costs in the U.S. health care systems for ASD are directed at the adult population: $175 to $196 billion for adults compared to $61 to $66 billion for children.” writes Monica Oss, CEO, Open Minds.
Insurance Coverage Improve Health Outcomes In Four Ways: NEJM
The national debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has involved substantial discussion about what effects — if any — insurance coverage has on health and mortality. Health plans play a leadership role in healthcare reforms. While debate continues, a recent piece in the New England Journal of Medicine answers one main question. Does having insurance coverage improve health outcomes?
Payers Increasing Member Value Through Payment Initiatives
The healthcare industry is undergoing an inevitable shift away from fee for service payment models towards reimbursement models that align with the healthcare triple aim, such as value based payments. The approach and question of which value-based model to implement still remains elusive for many organizations. Let’s take a look at some payment types on the value-based reimbursement spectrum.
Provider-Sponsored Health Plans: Executive Perspectives
Provider-sponsored health plans struggle through the ever-changing political environment. For providers hoping to get a handle on healthcare costs and supplement their own medical data with claims data, launching a health plan has been a strategic move.
BCRA, AHCA, and ACA: Winners and Losers
The Senate released its version (a.k.a. Better Care Reconciliation Act BCRA) of the House's AHCA. Payers and providers adjust as needed because healthcare reforms, like BCRA, AHCA, and ACA, continuously move through state and federal legislatures. Today's blog, pulls together summaries from numerous resources allowing you a quick glimpse or a deep dive into what waits around the corner. Here are 10 instances which can help you better identify when its time to look for a partner.