Tuesday Health’s Post

Read the latest from Managed Healthcare Executive (MHE), What’s Changed In Hospice in 2024?  This #MHE publication reviews what providers have seen in 2024 and what's to come in 2025 now that the final rule has been released. #hospice

Super interesting article from Hospice News about how CMS has released more information regarding ways to improve data sharing and transparency regarding Medicare Advantage. This increased transparency could positively affect hospice providers by enhancing quality measures for their patients! Check out the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCmxC2CS #hospice #postacutecare #medicareadvantage #CMS

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) have jointly released recommendations that aim to increase participation of long-term and post-acute care providers in #AccountableCareOrganizations. The recommendations focus on the following:   1. Improve Alignment for Beneficiaries Residing in Long Term Care Facilities CMS should allow attribution at the facility level, recognizing the important role nursing facility staff play in coordinating care for institutional beneficiaries.   2. Better Account for LTPCA Patients in Financial Methodology CMS should account for the sickness of patients in ways that are more appropriate for long term care patients.   3. Provide More Appropriate Quality Measures Given their unique challenges, the LTPAC population necessitates a distinct set of quality metrics that are clinically pertinent and meaningful to their long-term care.   4. Share Data More Regularly CMS should more regularly share utilization and cost data for attributed beneficiaries throughout the performance period.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ggb4wh6f

🌟 Palliative Care is becoming increasingly vital in today's value-based healthcare landscape. 🏥 Discover why this specialized care is pivotal for patient outcomes. #PalliativeCare #Healthcare #ValueBasedCare Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gCM_i43Q

Palliative care is increasing in importance in the value based landscape of today's healthcare system. Integrating palliative care doctors when someone begins to encounter an illness that will eventually take their lives and involve mental, emotional and physical suffering has proven to have a reduction in hospitalizations, readmissions and emergency department visits. To learn more about how the team at Bridges Palliative Care can impact the care of patients, contact us at info@bridgespalliativecare.com https://lnkd.in/gpyahz9v #palliativecare #CMS #medicare #healthcare #longtermcare

Love to hear your thoughts on this article by Dr Bill Coote. The recent Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report promises “significant changes to how primary care is funded and delivered to enable high quality, integrated and person-centred care for all Australians”. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Medicare, Health Minster Mark Butler has been promoting the government’s primary health care reforms, which include enhanced bulk billing incentives for some groups and enrolment fees for patients with chronic illnesses (MyMedicare). He also proposes reviving 1970-style “community health program” grants. ‘Has the government compromised universality, a foundational principle of Medicare? Are increased MBS rebates for bulk-billed GP services provided to defined populations tacit acceptance by government of a “two tier” system? This seems an inevitable conclusion if the remaining Australians are left to the mercy of the GP marketplace. #medicare

Check out this interesting article by Fierce Healthcare encouraging CMS to increase the participation of long-term and post-acute providers in ACOs to better incorporate episodic-based payments.    “The recently released white paper highlights ways the ACO REACH Model and Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) can be utilized to grow participation.”    Less than 2,000 SNFs participate in ACOs, with nearly 70% of ACOs having no SNF representation.     Aisha Pittman, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) shares, “Patients served by LTPAC providers deserve the highest quality, lower cost care we know value-based care delivers.” With Medicare spending nearly $57 billion on post-acute care, Contexture believes that this conversation should stay front and center.      Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gjpPzi_T

🌟 Exciting Update in Healthcare! MedPAC in-depth Hospice Analysis 🏥 This MedPAC presentation on #hospicecare, released in December 2023, delves into payment policies, utilization trends, and potential reforms. 📊 This analysis is a must-read for anyone in the healthcare sector. 🚀 🌐 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eS4xbKKD #healthcareinsights #medicare #healthpolicy

Community Health Centers provide critical healthcare services to rural American families. In many cases, these hospitals are the only access rural families have to health care. Due to rising costs of administering health care in these hospitals, an increasing number of health centers across the US face closure. This leaves many rural American families with little or no healthcare access. Virtual health care helps deliver affordable quality healthcare services to these communities with no copays or deductible for families. Family members now have $0 copay 24/7 unlimited nationwide access to board certified physicians and/or mental health professionals. BasiCare Plus (www.basicareplus.com) provides all family members access to top quality dedicated primary care physician & mental health providers AND $0 copay medications at their local pharmacy. BasiCare Plus Complete Care (https://lnkd.in/gxQEqhdA) includes over 3500 $0 copay acute, chronic/maintenance and mental health prescriptions at over 65,000 pharmacies nationwide. BasiCare Plus is a membership enhanced virtual healthcare program that, for a very minimal monthly fee, provides all these healthcare and prescription drug services for the entire family of 9. https://lnkd.in/gxQEqhdA; www.basicareplus.com

In every other speciality you have a two tier system. When it comes to GPs there is no backup. First tier are private surgeons/physicians who bill a gap on top of Medicare rebates and run their own cost base (the private rooms) alongside procedures in the private. As a backup there is a second tier - a state government funded fall back. This happens through public hospitals and is free to access for consumers. The reason it’s free is that the government funds all the costs of the service and provides an hourly rate or a salary to the specialists. GP and primary care have no backup. There is no government clinic for consumers to fall back on. So the government instead pushes a guilt narrative onto community general practices (as private business’s) to deliver a service which is not replicated anywhere else in the health system. I thinks it inevitable that a state funded alternative will have to come to the party for those that can’t afford GP care which has salaried employees and the government picking up all those areas private businesses can’t make work when bulk billing (like payroll tax).