May 7, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
60: Humana is purchasing the remaining 60% interest of Kindred at Home and will rebrand the company through Humana’s new healthcare services brand, CenterWell, going by CenterWell Home Health. Fully integrating home health allows Humana to accelerate their value-based operating model at scale, more closely focusing on improving patient outcomes and reducing the total cost of care. The payer plans to divest their majority stake in Kindred’s hospice and community care operations. Home Care Oversight: BCBS Michigan is contracting with CareCentrix to manage home health care services for MA...
Apr 30, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
24/7: Dartmouth-Hitchcock, along with MDLive, announced a virtual urgent-care service earlier this month. The 24/7 virtual urgent care will connect patients anywhere to clinicians at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, while MDLive physicians will provide back-up coverage. Dementia Risk Rising: Researchers say it’s probable that COVID-19 can increase the risk of getting dementia based on several new studies. You can read the full story here. Multiple Sclerosis Pilot: Highmark has partnered with AllianceRx Walgreens Prime to launch a Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) pilot outreach program targeted at...
Apr 23, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
263,999: Square feet, the size of the new ambulatory surgical center Kaiser is building in northern Virginia that will host multiple specialties, including radiology and infusion treatments. The building will boast a farmers' market and a health park with workout stations. Other services planned include nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging, clinical lab, oncology pharmacies, primary and specialty clinics and a community center. Kaiser is also trying to double its retail clinic network by 2022, according to the company, and is adding 4 clinics in Southern California Target stores. Up In The...
Apr 9, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
42: The number that hangs from baseball’s rafters and now also the percentage reduction in the rate of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, thanks to a collaboration between health insurer HCSC and the American Lung Association. The project, Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma, launched 9 years ago and works with community clinics across the insurer’s 5 states to implement a quality improvement program to support asthma management in children. Devising An Outcomes Contract: Spectrum Health, the integrated health system in Michigan, is entering into a...
Apr 2, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
5G: Vitas Healthcare, a hospice and palliative care provider, is working with AT&T to test whether virtual reality delivered through a 5G network can help reduce pain and anxiety for patients receiving end-of-life care. Large institutions like USC, Spectrum Health, Emory and the VA have all launched programs utilizing 5G in unique ways to try to better patient care. Value Contracts: 79 health plan payment innovation directors out of 100 we polled last month say they are building out condition-based episodic structures that will be the same across patient populations – commercial,...
Mar 26, 2021 | Managed Care Friday
59: Percent of 35-45 year olds in our consumer poll who said they will “likely” or “definitely” choose Cologuard’s at home test for colon cancer when the time comes over Colonoscopy, several citing advantages like “not having to do the prep my dad did” or not “having to be sedated” and even financial benefits for those who say they may just pay cash “and I think the at home is a lot cheaper”. If a Cologuard test is positive, the patient will need a Colonoscopy, but only 39% knew this. However, the cost of the Colonoscopy in this situation would be applied to the patient’s deductible if they...
