Study: Payers slowly migrating toward value-based reimbursement
While CMS has embraced value-based reimbursement, the country’s health insurance companies are still far from widespread adoption, according to a new survey.
The HealthEdge Voice of the Market survey revealed (PDF) that different payers and their affiliates will reach value-based care at different times, as clear discrepancies exist among adoption rates. About half (46.4%) of the 150 executives surveyed said that between 50% and 75% of their current contracts are in value-based models, with about the same number reporting similar adoption within the next two years.
And according to survey results, health insurers and providers will need to trust and work together in order to ensure the future success of these programs. More than 50% of those surveyed said that provider and member engagement are the key barriers to success. (FierceHealthPayer)
HIMSS19: Loud and clear message from feds on patient data: It belongs to patients
One message was loud and clear from federal healthcare officials in Orlando, Florida, this week at the largest gathering of health IT experts: Patient data belongs to patients.
Officials put industry stakeholders on notice over efforts to block patients' access to their data. The Department of Health and Human Services made public several proposed rules aimed at increasing consumer access to their health data, but whether these regulations lead to the long-held goal of industrywide interoperability will take years to determine.
"It’s long overdue for the healthcare industry to be a part of the smartphone economy and enable patients to access their health data through an app of their choice, at no additional cost," said Donald Rucker, M.D., national coordinator for health IT, closing out the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition on Friday. (FierceHealthIT)
Medical group notifies patients of possible data breach
A Kansas City, Missouri, medical group has notified almost 3,500 patients that their medical information may have been breached, according to KCUR.
The medical group, which provides anesthesia services to Kansas City hospitals, notified the patients that some of their personal information may have been compromised after surgery schedules were stolen from an employee’s car.
Anesthesia Associates of Kanas City posted a notice (PDF) on its website about the data breach, which occurred after a nurse anesthetist put a bag containing surgery schedules in his car, violating the practice’s data security rules. The bag was stolen and not recovered. (KCUR article)
Primary care doctors agree family caregivers play role in better outcomes
Primary care providers are almost unanimous in their agreement that family caregivers can ensure better patient outcomes, according to a new survey by AARP Research.
But the survey of 400 primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants found that time constraints and not knowing who or if there is a family caregiver prevent them from working with those caregivers for more of their patients. The providers said the top reasons for not interacting more with caregivers including that patients had multiple caregivers, they were not aware of the caregiver’s identify, there were fluctuations in caregiver involvement and it was too time-consuming. (AARP survey)