Apr 15, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
518: The number of “available” pediatric psychiatric residential beds in South Carolina, though state agency leaders say that about half of those are actually occupied by children from outside the state. This means South Carolina children with immediate psychiatric needs are waiting days and even weeks for care, and many end up traveling to other facilities across the state line. This strange phenomenon largely occurs due to different Medicaid rates between states. Kaiser Health News recently reported that about 90 children covered by Medicaid in Montana are at psychiatric facilities across...
Apr 8, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
57: Percent of 17-23-year-olds in our poll last month who are going to use urgent care as their primary care provider after college, down from 70 percent a year ago. The reason? Covid – for a meaningful portion of the 523 polled, senior relatives, parents and friends got sick, passed away, or did not get diagnosed quick enough with a serious or terminal condition like cancer. “I used to think urgent care could handle all of it but I think it’s probably more for the convenience,” Abby Knowles, 20 says. “I think having a regular doctor will be a good idea, particularly after what I’ve seen my...
Apr 1, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
43: Portion of 325 18-23-year-olds we polled who are interested in pursuing a career in sports psychology. “If I can’t compete after college I might as well help others with it – it’s 90% psychological,” said Nikki Phillips, a former swimming medalist. Much like most healthcare businesses, schools and families who are putting more stock into “psychology”, the sports world is seeing the benefit too. Full story here. Remote Control: Cigna’s telehealth operation MDLive is launching its own remote patient monitoring program for patients with chronic conditions. The program, available to all...
Mar 25, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
135M: The amount the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Protection Act, which was signed into law last week, will provide to support the mental health of healthcare workers. The bill was named in honor of Dr. Lorna Breen, the ER Director at NY-Presbyterian Hospital who died by suicide in April 2020. She was one of many frontline healthcare workers who struggled with their mental health during the COVID pandemic. “Physicians are at a significantly increased risk of suicide compared to the general population, with suicide rates 40% higher in males and 130% higher in females,” Dr. Madara, CEO of the...
Mar 11, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
38%: Reduction in pediatric hospitalizations due to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati partnering to connect children to social services, including three primary clinics in schools. The partners manage about 900 referrals a year, connecting families with resources for housing insecurity, poverty-related issues, and educational concerns. Fundraising and grants are the primary sources to fund the program but reimbursement through insurance could help long term. Self-Insured Coupe? BCBS Minnesota began offering a new product, Coupe Health, to...
Mar 4, 2022 | Managed Care Friday
$1.76M: The amount CareFirst has awarded to local health organizations to help address the diabetes epidemic and the social determinants of health that drive the chronic condition’s development. The grant recipients included 27 local health groups and represent Phase 1 of CareFirst’s commitment to addressing diabetes through a $10.5 million contribution. Lab Utility: The utility of lab testing and the overall cost, namely physician referral to out of network labs, is creating demand from health plans to manage and change physician behavior in more proactive ways. Later this year, several...
