Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
TGIF! A frequent reader sent me a note earlier in the week and asked if I would drop in more clinically oriented stuff from time to time. I asked for details, and she said stuff “that is germane to patient care and operational improvements – QA/QI stuff”. So, today’s post is by request, sort of. … Read more
Yesterday, the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living plus the National Assocation of ACOs released a white paper that includes a set of recommendations for CMS, designed to increase the participation of long term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers in accountable care organizations (ACOs). The white paper is available here: AHCA … Read more
An issue that I have been interested in for most of my career is coordinated care, especially in terms of older adults who utilize the most care resources and typically, have multiple providers (physicians in particular). Fragmented, uncoordinated care is the primary driver of over-treatment or inefficient treatment. The outcomes of over-treatment include polypharmacy, test … Read more
I get asked about value-based care a lot. It is a buzzword or term these days, somewhat driven by the rise in Medicare Advantage enrollment. Frankly, it is a bit of a catch-all concept that has its origins in Medicare and various demonstration projects (e.g., bundled payments) and the implementation of quality measures to “improve … Read more
In 2001, the Association for Professional Chaplains honored me with their Distinguished Service Award for my work in expanding the impact of professional chaplaincy and programs of pastoral care/ ministry in specialized healthcare settings. This was (and remains for me) a huge honor. Yet, since that time, a little over twenty years ago, programs of … Read more
I’ve been in and around healthcare for three plus decades and a concept that has always been front of mind for me is care coordination. This is something that is so important for a patient’s well-being in terms of improved outcomes and satisfaction. It is also a real opportunity for cost improvement. Unfortunately, I’ve seen … Read more
Now into February, its time to take stock of the Post-Acute/SNF landscape, particularly as the same pertains to the evolutionary policy initiatives in-play and moving forward. To start, there is little evidence on the horizon of an all-out retreat on the policy changes begat by the ACA. While some framework is building to “Repeal and Replace” … Read more