Health Insurance Plan Ratings for 2018: NCQA Releases Top 10 List
NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018-2019 compare the quality and services of more than 1,000 health plans in the United States and provide consumers with a practical and meaningful guide to understanding their health care options and choosing the best health plans for themselves and their families. National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is releasing its 2017 Health Insurance Plan Ratings. These ratings provide consumers with a more accurate picture of how health insurance plans perform in the key quality areas of consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment.
Fitbit Launches Wearables Coaching Service for Payers
Fitbit unveiled a connected wearables health platform on its new Fitbit Plus app Sept. 19, which integrates health coaching, activity tracking and virtual care services to help users manage chronic conditions.
Value-Based Payments Will Improve Care 18% of Physicians Say
Although 47 percent of physicians’ compensation is tied to quality or value, only 18 percent of physicians say these payment will improve care or cut costs, a report from Merritt Hawkins found.
Drug Prices Soar After Shortages
Amid a shortage, drug prices increase at roughly twice their usual rate, suggesting that pharma companies may be exploiting drug shortages to increase profits, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Single-Payer Could Help Lower Healthcare Costs?
A new report from the New England Journal of Medicine-Catalysts about trends in payer-provider integration suggests that the industry is warming up to single-payer — with 61 percent of hospital leaders saying single-payer would boost the industry’s efforts to lower costs and provide better care.
Drug-Pricing Report: Wells Fargo Reports Rise in Price of 60 Drugs
Drugmakers increased the price of 60 products August — a sharp decline from July, which saw 110 price increases, according to a Wells Fargo drug-pricing report.
BCBS of Tennessee to Drop OxyContin Coverage in 2019
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will stop covering the prescription opioid OxyContin beginning January 1, 2019.
Survey: 90% of Americans use Digital Health Tools
Consumers continue to embrace digital health tools, with 90% of respondents in a new Rock Health survey using at least one last year, up from 80% in 2016.
Virtual Care Adopted by All Generations
Millennials, generation Xers, baby boomers and seniors vary in how they’re using virtual care, according to a Deloitte report.
CMS Pushes ACOs to Take on Risk with Overhaul of MSSP
CMS issued a proposed rule Aug. 9 that would make sweeping changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, including overhauling the way ACOs share in risks and rewards.