There are almost 33 million people enrolled in eligible Medicare programs. Nearly half are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, and that number is expected to continue its climb. While many MA plans offer services that align with social determinants of health (SDOH) goals, there are still gaps in how these services reach and support vulnerable populations. This challenge is multifaceted. Critical issues include:
An incomplete understanding of how MA services impact different SDOHs
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Technology
Avel eCare Acquires Hospital Pharmacy Management, Expanding Telepharmacy Services
What You Should Know:
- Avel eCare, a provider of telemedicine services, today announced the acquisition of Hospital Pharmacy Management, Inc. (HPM), a company specializing in remote medication order review and onsite pharmacy management for hospitals and health systems.
- The strategic acquisition significantly expands Avel eCare's telepharmacy capabilities and strengthens its commitment to supporting healthcare providers, particularly in addressing the growing shortage of
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Amwell CFO Mark Hirschhorn Expands Leadership Role to COO
What You Should Know:
- Amwell, a provider of digital healthcare solutions, has announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mark Hirschhorn, will assume an expanded role as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 1, 2025.
- The alignment reflects Amwell's focus on streamlining operations and scaling its business to meet the increasing demand for digital healthcare services.
Expanded Responsibilities for CFO
In his new role, Hirschhorn will oversee Amwell's
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Wellpath to Deploy Awell to Enhance Care Delivery Across Network
What You Should Know:
- Wellpath, the largest provider of medical, dental and behavioral healthcare to correctional facilities has partnered with Awell, a care operations platform, to improve the quality and efficiency of care delivery across its vast network.
- The collaboration aims to leverage data-driven insights and AI-powered tools to optimize care pathways and enhance patient outcomes.
Streamlining Operations and Enhancing Efficiency
Awell's CareOps platform
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Optimizing MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for Oncology Practices in 2025
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) as part of its ongoing revisions to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program, which was established in 2017 to encourage ongoing and consistent quality, efficiency, and improvement in medical practices. The MVP framework was designed to ease the burden imposed on clinicians and their administrators who participate in the MIPS program. Traditionally, MIPS scores have been calculated based
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Systems Thinking: The Future of Equitable, Efficient, and Effective Population Health Management
Healthcare in the United States consists of a tangled web of complex interconnected drivers, including payment models, regulations, processes, and facilities. However, the lack of a cohesive system design has resulted in less than optimal care industry for the US population and highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach.
Year over year, data from the Commonwealth Fund demonstrates that despite high costs for healthcare, the patients in United States experience worse outcomes with
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Building a Healthier Future With School-Based Telehealth Solutions
Key Takeaways:
School-based telehealth programs provide immediate medical attention to students, reducing absenteeism and improving overall health outcomes.Assessing health needs and involving key stakeholders are essential first steps for successfully implementing telehealth programs in schools.Clear goals, secured funding, and partnerships with local healthcare providers ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the program.Robust technology infrastructure and thorough staff training
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Medical Home Network and Instacart Partner to Address Food Insecurity
What You Should Know:
- Medical Home Network (MHN), an organization supporting value-based care in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) forms a collaboration with Instacart, the North American grocery technology leader, to integrate Instacart's SNAP eligibility screener into MHNConnect, its care management platform.
- The strategic partnership aims to address food insecurity among vulnerable populations and improve health outcomes.
Tackling Food Insecurity in
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Unpacking Medicare Advantage Terminations and How Plans Can Navigate Them
The U.S. healthcare system has been undergoing its own stress test. Stakeholders are currently experiencing a variety of pressures with a primary focus on finances, including administrative costs. The COVID-19 pandemic is often used as a convenient delimiter for the emergence of these problems, but in reality, tensions were brewing long before now and were caused by a variety of factors. Medicare Advantage (MA) is facing the headwinds of these issues – and as a result, MA
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Food is Medicine: Thrive Global and Blue Shield of California’s Cookbook Initiative
What You Should Know:
- Just in time for the holiday season, Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global will be releasing a new budget friendly, healthy-eating cookbook tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 26, in partnership with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan.
- At a time when rates of chronic diseases including obesity and diabetes are rising, and many people struggle to afford and access healthy food, the Thrive Global Cookbook does more than just share recipes- it reflects Thrive
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