On April 16, 2015, President Obama signed into law H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015(MACRA), effectively sentencing Fee-for-Service (FFS) to death. The best explanation for how FFS is destroying the nation comes from Charles Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and ad-hoc health luminary, who is equating what American doctors do, to raising rattlesnakes so they can collect the bounty for dead rattlers offered by the government in an effort to combat a
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Healthcare Reform| Health Reform | Policy, News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
4 Strategies to Building A Modern Healthcare Billing & Payment System
The U.S. healthcare industry’s billing and payment system is a horse-and-buggy in a world contemplating driverless cars. Consumers, shouldering higher costs, are frustrated by the system, which still largely relies on paper and telephone calls for billing and payment. The $2.9 trillion sector needs to transform the way it does business, creating a more transparent, seamless, convenient way to bill and collect money from its customers, according to “Money matters: Billing and payment for a New
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PwC Report: 5 Key Trends Fueled by the Affordable Care Act
In its first five years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already left an indelible mark on the $2.9 trillion health sector. By energizing five fundamental shifts, the law has accelerated the rise of a New Health Economy predicated on value, according to a new report from PwC’s Health Research Institute (HRI), “Five Trends to Watch as the Affordable Care Act Turns Five.”
According to the PwC report, although much groundwork was laid in advance of the law’s enactment, health
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NY Gov Cuomo Approves EPCS Delay to March 2016
On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that would postpone the deadline for doctors in the state of New York to use only electronic prescriptions to March 27, 2016 . According to lawmakers, many physicians still lack the required federal approval for their computer systems to perform electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS) intended to prevent prescription fraud, Washington Times report.
“This is a victory for patient safety,” said Dr. Andrew Kleinman,
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Why Healthcare Price Transparency Is So Murky
I’ve spent the better part of the last two years trying to improve price transparency in healthcare. When my startup, Medlio, began down this path, we had a very simple vision - that consumers should be able to use their smartphones to find, connect, and transact with their healthcare providers. By "transact," I mean schedule appointments, submit medical forms and insurance information, receive an upfront estimate of the cost of the visit, make payment, and receive their data afterwards.
Now,
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Has For-Profit Healthcare Destroyed The Soul of Medicine?
The changes in medical care over the last five decades have been dramatic. Technological and scientific advances have given patients access to a level of medical diagnosis and care previously undreamed of.
During this time, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided more people with the opportunity to take advantage of that care. Yet despite all that extraordinary progress towards value based healthcare something is missing, states J. Joseph Marr, MD, a retired academic
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Is Primary Care Dead?
There are close to a quarter million primary care physicians in the U.S., more than any other individual specialty, and about half the total number of all specialists combined. Yet, somehow, primary care seems to lack the power and social influence necessary to chart its own professional course. As the availability and granularity of specialist physicians increased, the value proposition of a generalist primary care doctor seems to have become unclear to those who pay for medical services and to
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The “Cashification” of Healthcare
It’s understandable that so many people automatically assume that health insurance provides a benefit. After all, we’ve been conditioned for so long to think that insurance, through some arrangement with our employer, is actually picking up the tab. If that’s true, why not go with the steak instead of the chicken, and for that matter, why not throw in dessert?
For anyone who thinks we haven’t been acting like perfect healthcare consumers for the last 30 years, you may want a refresher on
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Maimonides Eyes Potential Partnershp with North Shore-LIJ
Maimonides Medical Center, an independent hospital known for their nationally recognized heart and vascular center based in Brooklyn, NY is eyeing a potential partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health Systems, Daily News reports.
The provider announced on Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into exclusive partnership negotiations with North Shore-LIJ Health Systems, one of the nation’s largest healthcare networks with 19 hospitals in New York City, Long Island,
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PwC Report: Regulatory Innovation Should Adapt to New Health Economy
Forty-three percent of pharma and life sciences execs now support FDA evaluating drugs based on both clinical and economic effectiveness
Consumers and drug and device manufacturers are changing practices and shifting attitudes toward the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Increased pressures for speedy access to breakthrough drugs and medical devices, and a focus on value in addition to medical benefit, are driving these changes. Those changes will likely put pressure on the FDA to consider
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