Avicenna Medical Blog

Care Management Weekly News Update -1/23/18

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Tue, Jan 23, 2018 @ 12:06 PM

UPDATED: Shutdown Nears End After Half of HHS Staff Furloughed

A contingency plan that went into effect during the three-day shutdown provided for CMS to keep operating certain ACA exchange activities, while not affecting Medicare in the short term. Other non-discretionary programs such as Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation activities also had continued and states were able fund their Medicaid programs through the second quarter.

In Chronic Disease Care, Family Helpers are Key, but Feel Left Out

In a new paper published in the journal Families, Systems and Health, a team from the University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System reports the results of a national survey of more than 700 adults who said they helped at least one adult family member or friend manage a common chronic illness. The study finds that many of these "health supporters" wish they could understand their loved one's condition better, or get more involved in helping them navigate a long-term illness.

What Happens When Primary Health Care Is Universal?

Well-organized primary health systems – which emphasize promotive, preventive, and chronic care, with general practitioners serving as the first point of contact – increase quality and reduce service fragmentation. Studies show that areas with more primary-care physicians have lower mortality and better health outcomes than those with fewer primary-care physicians.

MedPAC Votes to Replace MIPS, but Physician Groups Not Ready to Abandon New Payment System

As much as they dislike aspects of MIPS, two major physician groups disagree with a vote by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission yesterday to replace the Medicare payment system that’s been in place for just over a year. Both the Medical Group Management Association and the American Medical Association said they are not ready to abandon the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, the program track under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) that covers most physicians.

Tags: Weekly Industry News