CMS Proposes 1.84% Rate Increase for Medicare Advantage Plans, Other Policy Changes

The federal government on Thursday proposed a 1.84% average rate increase for Medicare Advantage plans in 2019, along with other policy tweaks that officials said are designed to strengthen the MA and Medicare Part D programs. CMS says its proposals will “result in a payment increase that promotes stability and insures that resources will be available to support beneficiaries enrolled in private Medicare plans.”

Health Care And Community-Based Organizations Have Finally Begun Partnering To Integrate Health And Long-Term Care

Community-based organizations such as area agencies on aging (AAAs) and centers for independent living (CILs) have served for decades as cost-effective, trusted, and proven resources for addressing the health-related social needs of older adults and people with disabilities, including long-term care needs. Yet, until recently, the health care sector has had little awareness of the value of these home and community-based resources.

Healthcare Cloud Computing Market on Track for $35B by 2022

Fueling growth in cloud computing is increased demand for 24/7 anywhere access to patient data, images, reports and other healthcare information. North America will lead in overall spending as healthcare policies promote lower costs and outpatient care, according to the report.

Medication Synchronization Reveals Medication Adherence Barriers

A January 2018 Health Affairs study found med sync increased medication adherence rates by 9 percent. This is a large proportion considering that health experts anticipate chronic care management patients to increase to 157 million by 2020.