The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed legislation that would make telehealth a core benefit in Medicare Advantage plans. Representative Diane Black stated, “This bill is about upgrading current law to not just allow but actually to encourage the use of telehealth technology to bring the best healthcare possible to our seniors, while also working to address those skyrocketing healthcare costs.”
Provider groups and health IT advocacy organizations are generally pleased with a proposal issued by federal officials to expand Medicare coverage for telehealth services under the 2018 physician fee schedule, but several are pushing for even more flexibility to integrate connected health technology.
The movement toward value-based care has been the major focus of the public and private sectors as a means to control cost and improve health care quality and outcomes. These value-based models are creating more urgent financial incentives and pressures for the health care system to think more about what creates and maintains health, rather than just treating illness.
Getting patients with chronic illnesses to take their prescribed medications so they stay well can be a big challenge for doctors. There are many reasons why an estimated 80% of patients with chronic conditions don’t stick to their care management plans, including medication regimens, according to PatientEngagementHIT.
Patient motivation techniques are critical for providers trying to activate patients in chronic care management programs. In all of healthcare, but especially in chronic disease management, it is important for patients to be active participants in their own wellness journey
Chronic diseases are on the rise in the United States, leaving healthcare payers with the challenge of covering care for patients with these expensive, long-term conditions. Experts such as the AMA have asked private and public payers to fund chronic disease management programs because chronic diseases are such a costly healthcare endeavor.
Population health is a grand vision with many working parts, and the opportunities are both enormous and challenging when it comes to revenue and care delivery outcomes. Experts will share insights and success stories about the opportunities and hard-wrought lessons learned at the Pop Health Forum Oct. 2 to 3 in Chicago.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is interested in developing a behavioral health payment model to improve healthcare quality and access, and lower the cost of care for Medicare, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program patients who have behavioral health conditions.
As telehealth technology continues gaining momentum, patients are realizing the value of virtual care options—even preferring it to in-person care in some instances. More than half of patients surveyed by the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) indicated they were “very satisfied” with a telehealth visit in the last year, and 54% said the experience was better than a traditional office visit.
The latest Senate health proposal reins in costs by effectively splitting the individual insurance market, with healthy people diverted into stripped-down plans and chronically ill individuals left with pricey and potentially out-of-reach options, insurance analysts said. This draft — a fresh attempt by the Republican Party to undo the Affordable Care Act — injects more uncertainty into plans for people with...
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