Jennings, Grauman Explain Bundled Payments

We recently interviewed Marian Jennings and Dan Grauman on bundled payments. What follows are excerpts from those interviews.   Dan Grauman: A bundled payment is a new payment mechanism called for in the Affordable Care Act, the Bundled Payment Care Initiative (BCPI). Essentially, it is a payment for a specific episode of care over a […]

PHM & APMs: What Comes First?

This blog/newsletter features an excerpt from an upcoming iProtean course featuring Dan Grauman from Veralon. Dan discusses the concepts and payment mechanisms that gained traction from the Affordable Care Act.   As is often the case during times of changes in health care, many terms and concepts are used. Population health management is conceptual. It’s […]

Competition for Physicians Increases in Urban Areas

Note: iProtean will be at its annual symposium next week. The newsletter/blog will resume the following week.   More recruitment for physician employees occurred in urban than rural and suburban areas in 2015. Compared to all placements in 2015, nearly 37 percent were recruited in urban areas compared to 25 percent in 2013, according to […]

Malware Is Top Information Security Concern for Healthcare Execs

Four-fifths of executives at healthcare and payer organizations said in a 2015 KPMG survey that their IT has been compromised by cyber-attacks. Malware was the top information security concern of the 223 healthcare executives surveyed.   The recent cyber-attack on a California hospital highlighted ongoing malware dangers for hospitals and the need to plan accordingly, […]

Patient-Centered Medical Homes Reduce Cost and Utilization

Patient-centered medical homes generally reduce both cost and utilization, according to a new report from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative.   The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is an innovation in care delivery designed to advance and achieve the Triple Aim of improved patient experience, improved population health and reduced cost of care. A medical home […]

Survey Highlights CEOs’ Top Concerns for 2016

The American College of Healthcare Executives’ third annual survey found that the chief concerns of community hospital CEOs involve financial issues, especially transition from volume to value (risk-based payment) and Medicaid payment. Financial concerns trumped other areas such as quality, patient safety, government mandates and personnel shortages.   A former chairman of the Medicare Payment […]

Effective Quality Incentives Remain Elusive

New study results suggest that pay-for-performance may not work sufficiently to incentivize quality improvement among some physicians. The study found that pediatricians in an accountable care organization who received small incentives did improve quality, but not as significantly as doctors employed by a hospital.   The study, published in JAMA Online, focused on quality performance […]

Next Generation ACO Model Launches in 2016

Twenty-one organizations launched the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model in January, according to CMS. These organizations “have significant experience coordinating care for populations of patients through initiatives such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer ACO Model,” CMS wrote in its fact sheet.   The new model differs from previous ACO […]