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What We're Reading: States to Recalibrate Hospital Payments; Mumps Outbreak; Tuberculosis Eradication Plan
Some states are rethinking how to compensate hospitals for services, using Medicare reimbursement rates as a benchmark to control costs for state employee health plans; reported cases of mumps are on the rise at Temple University in Philadelphia; the Lancet Commission outlines a new plan for worldwide tuberculosis eradication.
States Use Medicare Reimbursement Rates as a Benchmark to Redesign How Hospitals Are Compensated for Services
States are making efforts to control the costs of state employee health plans by using Medicare reimbursement rates to redesign how they pay hospitals, reported Kaiser Health News. As an example, Dale Folwell, state treasurer of North Carolina, plans to start paying hospitals Medicare rates plus 82%, which he believes will provide hospitals with a modest profit margin while saving the state an estimated $258 million annually. Traditionally, employers or insurers negotiate behind the scenes with hospitals to request discounts to set prices that continue to rise annually and are usually many times higher than the actual cost. Hospital associations opposing the proposition warn of dire consequences, including that hospital revenues could dramatically fall and cause rural hospitals to close.
Cases of Mumps Rising at Temple University
Health officials in Philadelphia now believe 74 individuals have contracted mumps at Temple University, according to the Associated Press. Laboratory testing has confirmed 15 cases, whereas 59 are considered likely due to reported symptoms. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine has been recommended by the CDC to prevent the spread of the infection, but research suggests that its effectiveness fades 10 or more years after a second dose is administered. Mumps is a contagious viral infection that causes swollen glands.
Lancet Commission Unveils Plan to End Tuberculosis
The Lancet Commission on tuberculosis proposed a new set of tactics to eradicate the respiratory disease within a generation, STAT News reported. The plan includes investments in rapid diagnostics, vaccine development, and treatment for high-risk populations. These strategies come with a steep price tag as they are predicted to cost an additional $5 billion per year, which would nearly double current international funding to combat the disease. Tuberculosis is responsible for about 4500 deaths per day and is the most deadly infectious disease.
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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HMO and EPO Insurance Plans More Likely to Promote Use of Biosimilars
November 21st 2023Health plan type highly influences the likelihood of biosimilar uptake, with low-flexibility insurance plans more likely to have patients who either switched to a biosimilar or were initiated on a biosimilar.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Dr Debra Patt of Texas Oncology
August 1st 2023Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, for episode 2 of our newest podcast, "Oncology Onward: Conversations With Innovators and Changemakers in Cancer Care."
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Therapists’ Perspectives on Access to Telemental Health Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youth
November 10th 2023This qualitative study elucidates therapists’ perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of access to telemental health among Medicaid-enrolled youth served by a large safety-net organization.
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