Dementia Care Spending to Hit $277 Billion

In 2018, the total cost of care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is projected to reach $277 billion. That figure is expected to keep ballooning in coming years and decades, and a growing proportion of spending has been going toward in-home care.

Maintaining Patient Access to Care During Natural Disasters

As communities across the country are hit with natural disasters, healthcare organizations must create contingency plans to help preserve patient access to care during disaster recovery. According to new research published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, these precautions need to include measures of ambulatory care utilization and recovery of cancelled appointments during and following natural disasters.

Air Ambulances Could Improve Access to Care in Rural Areas, but High Costs Pose a Major Barrier

Many Americans struggle with access to care—especially as rural hospitals close their doors for good across the country—but air ambulances have emerged as a potential solution to the problem. However, the cost of emergency air medical services is a major barrier to expanding these programs to more people in rural areas.

HHS Panel Recommends Testing 2 Alternative Palliative Care Payment Models

HHS’ Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee recommended the agency test two value-based alternative payment models in Medicare for palliative care. Palliative care makes up one-quarter of Medicare expenditures, though only 4% of beneficiaries use it.