Amazon Reportedly Exploring At-Home Health Testing

Details are beginning to emerge about the latest rumored home health endeavor from Seattle-based technology giant and online retailer Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). In line with its ongoing focus on the home setting, Amazon has reportedly considered entering the health diagnostics space by acquiring venture-backed startup Confer Health, which develops hardware for at-home medical testing.

Improving Behavioral Health Access in a Time of Severe Provider Shortage

Behavioral health needs are highly prevalent, comorbid with other chronic conditions, and associated with increased clinical care and cost. The 20% of Medicaid patients with behavioral health problems account for 46% of total Medicaid spending on health services. Spending on behavioral health services in total is projected to reach almost $240 billion by 2020, up from about $150 billion in 2009.

Utilize CCM Codes to Maximize Patient Care, Payment

If you are a family physician, odds are high that a portion of your patient panel is 65 or older and a Medicare beneficiary. And of these patients, a good percentage probably live with two or more chronic diseases that are well managed by your family medicine clinic.

Value-Based Reimbursement Reduces Costs 15.6%, Improves Quality

Value-based reimbursement models are moving the needle on quality and cost, a new analysis from Humana shows. In 2017, medical costs for patients attributed to primary care practices (PCPs) in Humana’s value-based reimbursement models for Medicare Advantage (MA) were 15.6 percent lower compared to Medicare fee-for-service, the insurer reported.

Medicaid Enrollees See Better Patient Experiences, Care Quality

Patients with chronic illness who are enrolled in the Medicaid program tend to have better patient experiences than those without insurance coverage, according to a new study from America’s Health Plans (AHIP).

Amazon Expands Catalog of HIPAA-eligible AI Services

Amazon continues to look for new ways to be relevant to healthcare workers. Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud business, announced last week that three of its most popular services — Amazon Translate, Amazon Comprehend and Amazon Transcribe — are now HIPAA-eligible.

Designing a High-Value Approach to Chronic Care Management

Eighty percent of members’ health is determined by social factors such as housing, economic position, education and social connections, so called social determinants of health. But, most healthcare organizations struggle to use social determinants data to target members for focused intervention, a recent study found.

Keeping Human Stories at the Center of Health Care

Caring for the health and well-being of our fellow humans has always been viewed as a combination of art and science. With all the recent advances in technology, there is no doubt the health care industry as a whole gets an “A” in science. The tradeoff, however, is that we’ve become so focused on using the technology (as this HBR article points out) that we spend far less time listening to individual human stories. 

Report: More people are seeking out mental healthcare - if they can afford it

The stigmas around mental health are eroding, which is pushing more people to seek care—but cost and access remain significant barriers, according to a new survey. The National Council for Behavioral Health and Cohen Veterans Network surveyed 5,000 people and found that nearly six in 10 had sought mental health care for either themselves or a loved one.  However, 38% of adults have had to wait a week or more for an...

Report: More People Are Seeking out Mental Health Care—If They Can Afford It 

The National Council for Behavioral Health and Cohen Veterans Network surveyed 5,000 people and found that nearly six in 10 had sought mental health care for either themselves or a loved one. However, 38% of adults have had to wait a week or more for an appointment.