Moving Intelligent Change Forward
April, 2018 Vol. 2 - In This Issue:
In the midst of innovation and escalating cost, when is the right time to opt for less care or no care at all? American consumers are bombarded daily with information that tells them their risk for disease, likelihood of financial harm due to prices or lack of insurance coverage, benefits (and side effects) of various treatments and who's to blame for the affordability and access imbalance. And yet there are few tools available to assist consumers with sifting through the wealth of information to make choices that reflect their interests and at the same time optimize the use of resources. Ultimately, this leaves the most important decision makers in the system with the fewest tools and the quietest voice. If we did a better job at giving patients and families the information they need when making a decision, would we have a better (and sooner) chance at finding the treatment most closely aligned with their goals?

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A Third Option
 


I was used to seeing two types of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) - the young after an overdose and the old after multiorgan failure. You were neither young nor old. We were only a few years apart, I remember thinking. Chance had struck you with an unforgiving malady that turned your previously pliable lungs stiff and fibrotic. A roll of the dice, and I could have been the one lying in the hospital bed you now occupied.   
 
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What It's Like Living Without Health Insurance in America

Last week, Bloomberg News told the story of three families without health insurance. We also asked readers to share their own stories as we spend the next year following people who are "risking it." 
 
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Engagement is the Holy Grail of transforming healthcare

Shifting industry dynamics and new market forces continue to create an unprecedented level of change in healthcare, each signaling new urgency for healthcare organizations to do things differently. And many are finding that building a highly engaged culture is the right place to start. 
 
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Addressing Low-Value Care and a Better Benefit Design at the V-BID Summit
   


As the country searches a new way to address cost of care, value-based insurance design (VBID), is gaining traction as one way of encouraging the use of high-value services and discouraging the use of low-value services. VBID would give patients access to treatments and services with high clinical value at reduced or no cost sharing. Currently, health plans tend to value all treatments and services as equal in clinical value to all patients, even though this is not the reality.    
 
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CMS Missing the Mark on Bundled Payments, Experts Say
  


Quality measures for bundled healthcare payments do not measure what patients value most and fail to encourage more appropriate care, say authors of a new article  published online  April 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 
 
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Unlocking The Potential Of Real-World Data: Tapping Into Today's Data To Improve Healthcare Tomorrow
 


Modern healthcare is undergoing a huge shift in how key stakeholders, including biopharmaceutical companies, health systems, and medical authorities, are approaching and evaluating patient data. An instigator for this shift is the growing access to and general use of real-world data, such as de-identified patient data collected and analyzed from registries, electronic health records, wearable devices, and administrative and healthcare claims databases. This type of data is increasingly being utilized by industry representatives to help inform drug development, health system operations, formularies and resulting coverage, and patient care decisions.
 
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NQF report finds gaps in post-acute, long-term care measures


While the Trump administration's focus is on rolling back regulations, there are risks in loosening government oversight of healthcare programs. Providers applaud less regulatory and reporting burden, but those regulations were established in many cases to promote greater care quality or to reduce unnecessary procedures.
 
Passion + Quality = Change That Matters
  
I embrace the powerful opportunities in our evolving health care landscape. I founded Momentum Health Strategies to be a catalyst for change through continuous learning, diverse engagement and thoughtful policy and practice initiatives. I deliver innovative, strategic thinking and a passion for improving the patient experience. My personal drive and dedication to high-quality results will help you navigate the competitive terrain you face and convert your vision to action.

Momentum Health Strategies

Jennifer L Bright, MPA
(703) 628 - 0534