NBA Player Robert Horry’s Healthcare Adventures Are Proof We Need Affordable Universal Coverage
Touching story on NBA great Robert Horry’s healthcare adventures with his daughter, who lived with a genetic disorder and died in her 18th year. It is a testament to why we need affordable universal access to healthcare. Horry is now with a company promoting Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA), which allows businesses to cover portions of healthcare premiums and allows employees to privately procure insurance (usually on the Exchange). To me, it is one of the few positive healthcare developments from the Trump administration.
#ichra #obamacare #aca #exchanges
Huge Bounty On BlackCat Cyberattackers
The State Department has issued a reward for information that could find people working with BlackCat, the cyberattacker that got into the Change Healthcare systems.
#changehealthcare #cyberattacks
CVS Health Aiming To Transform Customer Experience
Karen Lynch, CEO of CVS Health, is a smart businesswoman. She has made a priority the transformation of customer experience throughout the CVS Health enterprise, whether Aetna as an insurer, CVS Caremark as a PBM, CVS pharmacies, and more. The article shows CVS’ blueprint for success.
#cvshealth
Hospital Terminations Impact Medicare Advantage Enrollees
Reasonably balanced (although a bit anti-health plan) Kaiser Health News article on the impact to seniors when hospitals or health plans term the other entity. It creates access and continuity of care issues. This is a growing problem. My view is that hospitals are trying to leverage themselves as Medicare Advantage (MA) grows. Hospitals dislike prior authorization and are attempting to stop MA growth in favor of the unfettered traditional fee-for-service (FFS) program. The new ridiculous prior authorization (PA) rules will mean fewer inpatient requests rejected. This was another big priority hospitals won and actually may calm terminations down a bit — a silver lining for an otherwise bad policy.
#hosptials #healthplans #medicareadvantage #coverage
Cybersecurity Reforms Coming
This STAT article indicates that regulators could react strongly to the Change Healthcare cyberattack by tying federal aid to certain cyber security standards and may create recommended standards that healthcare organizations can follow.
(Article may require a subscription.)
#changehealthcare #cyberattacks #healthplans #providers
While Still A Major Problem, Physician Shortage Could Be Smaller Than Expected
A new report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) suggests that there will be a significant shortage of physicians in the next 10 to 15 years but smaller than once expected. Due to aging, population growth, and other factors, physician demand is slated to continue to grow faster than supply.
The report says there will be a projected shortage of 13,500 to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Primary care will fare the worse, with a deficit of 20,200 to 40,400 physicians by 2036.
#providers #physicians
KFF Tracking Poll Says Voters Want To Hear About Healthcare Issues
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll says unexpected medical bills and healthcare costs top the list of financial concerns for voters. They want to hear the presidential candidates tackle them.
Almost 75% of those surveyed say they are worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills and the cost of health care services. This beats concerns about affordability of other ongoing household expenditures. This is true regardless of political party.
About two-thirds of those surveyed want the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded or kept the same, with 37% of GOP voters saying so – a large percentage.
#healthcare #healthcarereform #coverage
— Marc S. Ryan
