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:...
May 1, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
Overachiever: So, what happens when the healthcare system starts having unparalleled success in value-based arrangements? What, for example, do insurers think will happen to the target baseline on which a physician is measured, and will insurers share more savings or less? Thoughts here from our poll. Revenue Short: There’s been a little reported issue between reimbursement for Medicare Advantage patients vs. fee-for-service Medicare. While traditional Medicare has allowed providers the discretion to waive cost share during this pandemic, that will come out of the provider’s books as...
Apr 24, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
21: Percent spike in the number of prescriptions filled per week for antidepressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-insomnia medications between February 16 and March 15, according to an Express Scripts report. Sales peaked the week ending March 15, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Anti-anxiety medication use rose the most, at +34.1%. Glidepath to Risk: Just because there’s a pandemic doesn’t mean risk contracting has stopped, interestingly, as we’re hearing more payers and providers continuing to explore risk contracts. And why not? With the downtick in visit volume, it’s not a bad time to be...
Apr 17, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
28: Percent of families in a quick poll we did with parents of students in college or medical school who say they will likely need to either transfer their students to a lower-cost community college or forgo continuing medical school, due to changes in job income. Underappreciated Pediatric Risks: Pediatric practices are having to revise their usual procedures during the pandemic but are having difficulties doing so. In California, Berkeley Pediatrics has split its office into two parts, a separate back entrance that leads upstairs for healthy patients and the downstairs area for sick...
Apr 10, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
50: The percent of alcohol sales growth across the country that addiction recovery provider, Eleanor Health, has noted since the virus started. “People are using more substances to cope,” Nzinga Harrison, MD, Chief Medical Officer, reported live on our behavioral health forum April 3rd. “We know this is a high stress time.” Harrison said that the company’s value-based structure has been helpful to stay in touch with patients and continue providing services. If you missed, reach out for a recording. Sepsis Implications: An untreated UTI can lead to sepsis, and a family doctor running a small...
Apr 3, 2020 | Managed Care Friday
Allergy Pop: A biologist from New Mexico has created a special lollipop to help with allergies, which is probably well-timed as we head into allergy season and a prolonged pandemic. The biologist was selling the pops out of a strip mall in Santa Fe, but in a bit of kismet, started selling them through Amazon in early February. The biologist, Cliff Han, claims they sort of help turn off the immune system that makes you sneeze or cough. The AllerPops are made with sugars and amino acids to promote good bacteria, but they have not been evaluated by the FDA nor do allergists necessarily buy-in....
