May 29, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
42: Percent of people delaying healthcare appointments due to the pandemic, while just 16% delaying mental health appointments, a BCBS spokesman said, thanks largely to a system of virtual sessions that was already changing before the virus. A local solo therapist for teens in southern New England had hired 5 school psychologists in January for tele sessions, turning her caseload from 50 established to 200. On a national scale, Magellan saw a staggering 1,500% increase nationally in behavioral health telemedicine claims from February to early April this year while Talkspace volume is up 65%....
May 22, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
90: Percent of home health agencies reporting that their clients are canceling one or more visits because they are fearful of contracting COVID-19 or potentially bringing the virus into their homes, according to a Home Care Association of America survey. Many are delaying necessary medical care and even avoiding the ER for a day or two after a stroke or heart attack due to virus fear, which could lead to clinical deterioration and complications. One large home health and hospice company that usually provides care to 35,000 patients experienced 8,000 visit cancellations in the span of one...
May 19, 2020 | Legislation/ Budgets/ Macro
House Democrats have passed an expansive fifth COVID-19 response bill, dubbed the HEROES Act. The total impact of the legislation would likely be in excess of $3 trillion in new spending. The Senate will most likely craft its own, more limited, legislation through a negotiation between Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the White House. This brief primarily focuses on healthcare policy, while providing a very high-level summary of other major proposals in the legislation. Click to read more.
May 18, 2020 | Hospitals, Inpatient, LTCHs, Medicare
CMS has proposed FY 2021 rules for the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), which will both be finalized at least 60 days prior to October 1, 2020 – likely the week ending in Friday, July 31, 2020. This brief summarizes the proposed changes made to the IPPS, which applies to approximately 3,200 acute care hospitals, and LTCHs, which applies to approximately 360 LTCHs. Click to read more.
May 15, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
8 is Not Enough: An 8% reduction in chronic care condition downstream costs from frequent exercise among commercially insured has health plans seeing the potential of movement and many are creating new CEOs. Blue plan executives we chatted with this week say they are appointing chief exercise officers who will head up a range of initiatives following results of the new national study. Ideas floated in our poll: exercise breaks at a set time each day led by mix of celebrity instructors like Glee’s Sue Sylvester or using supplemental benefit Star bonus dollars for Medicare enrollees to build...
May 12, 2020 | BRG Publications
BRG is an expert-driven firm that is constantly adding talent, including recent additions of experts and professionals to the various healthcare practices within the firm. Click to read more.
May 8, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
94: Percentage decline in screening appointments for breast cancer in March this year, compared to the last few years, according to data pulled by Epic. Komodo Health, which analyzed the billing records of 320 million patients across the country, found that screening for cervical cancer was down 68% from March 19 to April 20, compared to the previous 11 weeks and a comparable period last year. Tests for cholesterol, diabetes, and active and recurrent cancers were down, too, with the sharpest declines in geographic areas like New York and Massachusetts. Hard to See Bruising is Cancer Problem:...
