Medicare Pays Primary Care Doctors More for Managing Chronic Conditions

To attract more doctors to primary care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has taken a two-pronged approach to reform Medicare payment systems for those physicians: paying more for managing care for patients with chronic conditions.

Higher Patient Satisfaction Linked to Lower Readmissions

Patients who are satisfied with their care are less likely to return to the hospital within 30 days, a new study shows. The study, published recently in BMJ Quality and Safety, found patients who reported high satisfaction with their overall care experience were 39% less likely to be readmitted than patients who were not as satisfied.

Latest MACRA, Doctor Fee Rules Could Bring Boost to Telehealth, Wearables

The physician fee schedule final rule, which estimates a slight increase in payment rates next year, added a number of telehealth services. That could help providers as they seek to modernize their practices and expand telehealth options for patients. 

Population Health Management Means the Whole Population, Not Just the Highest Need

Considerable attention has been given to the large proportion of healthcare spending concentrated among a small proportion of patients. This five to 10 percent of the population has been the driving force behind many value-based purchasing models, e.g., chronic health condition management for the high cost, high utilizers, and health home models for care coordination and management services.