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.

How to Improve Cost Sharing to Enhance Chronic Disease Management

A tailored cost sharing program that helps beneficiaries pay for chronic disease care can reduce wasteful spending and increase access to chronic disease management services. However, relying on one-size-fits all cost-sharing plans can make it difficult for patients to access the preventive services they need to avoid costly acute events down the line.

Policy Experts to Legislators: Don't Forget Administrative Spending in Quest to Lower Healthcare Costs 

David Cutler, Ph.D., a professor of applied economics at Harvard, told senators at a hearing on Tuesday morning before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that healthcare administrative costs are a "major drain on the U.S. economy." These expenses cost about $1 trillion each year, twice what the U.S. spends treating patients with cardiovascular disease and three times what it spends on cancer care, Cutler said.

Re-Hospitalization Rates Prove Stubborn Despite Home Health Providers’ Efforts

For years, home health agencies across the country have had numerous reasons to focus on reducing their 60-day re-hospitalization rate. Yet performance in this area has slightly worsened, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) noted in its recently proposed Medicare payment update for 2019.