An executive order issued this week calls for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to write the hospital requirements on price transparency in the next 60 days. This should mandate “standard charge information, including charges and information based on negotiated rates and for common or shoppable items.” But what are common or […]
Executive Order Reduces HHS Time for Transparency Read More »
Pharmaceutical companies like Amgen Inc, Merk & Co, Eli Lilly and Co, as well as the Association of National Advertisers, filed a lawsuit Friday, May 14th against the Trump Administration regarding the new CMS final rule that would go in to effect in July. This rule, we reviewed in a previous blog, states that television
Alarmingly, based on a 2017 study, the U.S. has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world. Let that sink in. While mortality rates have declined throughout Europe, Australia, and Canada since 1990, the U.S.’s rate has grown exponentially. There are many reasons for this, including hospitals maternity care performance standards. Based on
Only 20% of Hospitals meet Maternity Care Performance Standards Read More »
A rule proposed in October of last year has become final on May 8, 2019. This rule would mandate that pharmaceutical companies publish the prices of any medication with a list price greater than $35 during television ads. Pharmaceutical companies tried to push back on this rule stating that listing the prices would confuse patients
Since the introduction of the HITECH Act, there has been a fast-paced shift to incorporate technology into healthcare. With a focus on improving patient outcomes and establishing true interoperability as the Act originally intended, we have fallen quite short of that mark. However, better utilization of data from our systems can help with business decisions,
We have been reviewing telemedicine a lot lately. Telemedicine is still in its infancy, with many providers hesitant to jump in. One specialty, however, has been increasing their telehealth visits, and that is pediatrics. And while there have been numerous studies on the benefits of telemedicine for adults, there have been very few regarding the
Telemedicine and Increased Antibiotics Prescriptions for Kids Read More »
In a rare bi-partisan effort this week, the House Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions subcommittee heard testimony regarding what can be done to prevent patients from receiving medical bills for which they are unprepared. How can that happen? In several ways. For example, a patient can be seen in the Emergency room, pay their ER
Stanford Children’s Health in Palo Alto, CA has grown their telehealth program exponentially over the last three years. Their goal is to be more patient-centered, making healthcare more convenient and accessible. From just 192 visits in 2017 to 1,500 already in the first few months of 2019, this practice has learned the value of providing
The University of Michigan has started a study of how smart watches, particularly the Apple Watch, can track and monitor patient’s blood pressure and heart rate. The study looks to review how that translates to chronic health symptoms, and if the data they provide can help providers diagnose and treat certain conditions. This study will
Last week it was reported in an exclusive by CNN, that former Aetna Medical Director, Dr. Jay Ken Iinuma, testified during a deposition that “he never looked at patients’ records when deciding whether to approve or deny care.” This deposition was in response to a lawsuit filed against Aetna by Gillen Washington who suffers from
Insurance Medical Director Denied Care without Review Read More »
