Low Value Care Spending on Low Back Pain Is Decreasing
The healthcare industry is making strides in diminishing low value care spending for commercially-insured patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), according to a research letter published in JAMA...CMS Home Healthcare Policy Reduced Hospital Readmissions
The CMS post-acute care transfer (PACT) policy and the use of home healthcare helped reduce hospital readmissions for recently discharged patients and lower hospital expenditures, according to a study...AHIP Calls On Congress to Address Price Gouging of COVID-19 Tests
AHIP is urging Congress to take action and address the ongoing price gouging of COVID-19 tests that payers are facing from out-of-network providers. In a statement submitted to the House Committee...Key Factors Behind How Much Commercial Insurers Pay Providers
Commercial payers have been experiencing higher healthcare spending than fee-for-service Medicare due to higher prices, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). CBO observed...Oscar Health Cost Estimator Tool Aims to Increase Price Transparency
Oscar Health has launched an updated cost estimator tool to increase price transparency around healthcare costs and help members plan for their medical bills in advance. “Since day one, Oscar...Sponsored Article
5 Reasons Why Payers Should Bolster Payment Integrity
Payers can elevate their payment integrity strategy to do much more than fraud, waste, and abuse prevention. A comprehensive payment integrity strategy is key to lowering costs and achieving higher...COVID-19 Federal Spending Drove National 2020 Healthcare Spending
National healthcare spending increased by nearly 10 percent in 2020 to $4.1 trillion, largely due to the spike in federal spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Health Affairs...Priority Health, Epic Partner to Improve Patient Data Exchange
Priority Health has announced a partnership with Epic and plans to implement the EHR vendor’s payer platform to facilitate patient data exchange with providers, lower healthcare costs, and...Low Value Care in Pediatric, Inpatient Care Cost $17M in 2019
Low-value care in pediatric inpatient care has a high price tag, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open on pediatric hospital spending for low-value services. “As...Cancer Patients in High Deductible Health Plans Face Steep Costs
Patients with new cancer diagnoses who were enrolled in a high deductible health plan experienced significantly higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs compared to patients with traditional insurance, a...Hospitalization of Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients Cost $13B
Going without a coronavirus vaccine can have an impact on healthcare spending in the US, a Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker report on unvaccinated COVID-19 patients found. Based...Children, COVID-19 Are Drivers of Household Healthcare Spending
Households that had a COVID-19 diagnosis and those with children had higher rates of household healthcare spending and medical bill concerns, according to the...Proposed Law May Lower Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Premiums
The drug inflation rebate provision included in the Build Back Better Act could lead to a $111 billion reduction in employer-sponsored health plan premiums between 2022 and 2031, according to an Urban...ACHP Asks CMS To Set At-Home COVID-19 Testing Coverage Standards
In a letter to CMS, the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) has requested that the federal government establish certain requirements for at-home COVID-19 testing coverage. “We support the...2021 Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Spending Growth Hit 6.3%
Costs for employer-sponsored health plans increased 6.3 percent in 2021, surpassing every annual increase since 2010, a Mercer survey discovered. “Employers seem optimistic that this...Sponsored Article
As High-Dollar Claims Come In, Focus on Payment Integrity Is Key
Overall healthcare spending is slated to increase exponentially over the course of the next few years, and private payers are expected to foot a large portion of the bill. The Office of the Actuary at...The Impact of In-Home Chronic Disease Management on Spending
Employing personalized, in-home chronic disease management services can have a significant impact on spending for seniors with chronic conditions, a study from Avalere found. “Demonstrating a...Most Adults Have Low Health Literacy, Strong Medical Bill Concerns
The majority of insured individuals in the United States are concerned about paying their medical bills, with low health literacy contributing to these concerns, according to the MITRE-Harris Poll...2022 ACA Marketplace Premiums Depend on Enrollee Income, Location
Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace premiums for 2022 depend largely on where individuals live, what their income is, and which plan they select, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) issue...Sponsored Article
