Curbing the Costs of Chronic Conditions

Seniors Healthier when Medical Care is Coordinated

As America’s population ages, experts are exploring how best to keep older people with multiple chronic illnesses healthy. A new study suggests that coordination between physicians may be key.

Rural Hospitals in Dire Need of Regulatory Relief

CMS says it's working to improve access and quality of care in rural health settings, but the industry counters that it needs a much bigger effort to stem the bloodletting in the sector in recent years.

How the VA is Proving the Power of Telehealth

The telehealth market is poised for growth with $431M in venture capital investment being poured into startups in the space this year. Telehealth, or telemedicine, enables physicians to deliver care services to patients from a distance via communications tools such as videoconferencing, remote monitoring, and information-sharing platforms.

TCD Medical and Behavioral Health Integration:

An estimated one third of patients being treated by a primary care doctor are also suffering from a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder. Primary care doctors may feel overwhelmed, or that their practice is not equipped to handle such specialized care. However, due to limited access issues, it may take three to sixth months to make an appointment with a behavioral health specialist. A partner of Avicenna, the Amherst-based TCD Medical

How to Integrate Clinical Care with Mental, Behavioral Healthcare

As the industry continues its shift from volume to value, healthcare organizations should consider innovative strategies for incorporating mental and behavioral healthcare services with the clinical environment. Delivering high-quality, preventive care requires clinicians to treat the whole patient, on both the physical and behavioral level.

CMS Proposes Expanded Medicare Telehealth Coverage

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to expand Medicare coverage for telehealth services and to make it easier for physicians to provide care through in-person home visits. The policy changes were floated in a proposed rule issued Thursday, regarding payment policies, rates and quality provisions for services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after Jan. 1, 2019.

Medicare Chronic Disease Management Vital to Cut Healthcare Costs

 Effective chronic disease management is imperative in a healthcare industry in which costs are only going up. However, without adequate patient engagement and care coordination strategies, efforts to mitigate chronic care issues will not be successful, leaving the market to handle ever-rising healthcare costs.

Behavioral Health Integration Program:

Behavioral health integration (BHI) was added to Medicare’s care management programs in January 2017, reimbursing physicians and non-physicians for BHI services provided to patients with mental, behavioral, or psychiatric conditions. Since the introduction of BHI, Medicare has continued to update the billing codes and expand the reimbursement opportunities for providers aiding the millions of Americans living with a mental health disorder.

Medicare's...