Highlights of coverage of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.
The new study in The American Journal of Managed Care, “Effects of Physician Payment Reform on Provision of Home Dialysis,” received extensive coverage this week. Researchers led by Kevin F. Erickson, MD, MS, examined patterns of care after a change in Medicare payment rules for home-based dialysis. The study found that patients in traditional Medicare were 1% less likely to have home-based dialysis after a change that increased payments for in-center dialysis for patients with end-stage renal disease. As Jacqueline Belliveau wrote in RevenueCycle Intelligence, financial incentives were a significant factor in deciding where patients would be treated. Making in-center dialysis more lucrative could work against patient quality of life, because some dialysis patients have mobility issues or problems finding transportation. Emily Rappleye, writing for Becker’s Hospital Review, noted that the patients most affected were those living near large dialysis facilities. She quoted the authors: “These findings highlight both an area of policy failure and the importance of considering unintended consequences of future efforts to reform physician payment.”
Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
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Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
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The Biden administration recently launched the Global Health Security Strategy, a new effort to combat the spread of infectious diseases; lawmakers zeroed in on the risks of massive consolidation in health care during the first congressional hearing on the Change Healthcare hack; the FDA recently announced the recall of a pair of heart devices linked to numerous deaths and injuries.
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