The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced two initiatives set to launch in July 2024 that could help move the needle away from fee-for-service payments. One focuses on supporting family caregivers of dementia patients to forestall their admission to a nursing home and the considerable costs that accompany that decision. Another makes it easier for small primary care practices with no prior experience to pursue bundled payment plans over a 10-year period. Both are ambitious pilot programs which could have a significant impact on healthcare delivery.

Quality issues are still the number one reason for drug shortages, and in an effort to address this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is debuting a quality management maturity (QMM) program intended to incentivize drugmakers to invest in quality measures. The program will be run by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), which is developing its QMM Assessment Tool to evaluate how effectively establishments monitor and manage quality and quality systems. The QMM program aims to encourage drug manufacturers to implement quality management practices that go beyond current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements. In a white paper, the FDA cited four main goals: foster a strong quality culture mindset; recognize establishments that have advanced quality management practices and acknowledge establishments that strive to continually improve them; identify areas where quality management practices can be enhanced and provide suggestions for growth opportunities; and minimize risks to product availability to assure reliable market supply.

The essence of VBC lies in data-driven decision-making

Healthcare IT| August 28, 2023

The value-based care payment and care delivery model has been evolving for more than a decade, and with the right risk tolerance and aligned incentives, it promises to benefit patients, providers and payers.

“While the adoption has been windy, there are clear signs of VBC’s stickiness and growing footprint,” explained John Fryer, chief revenue officer at Lumeris, which focuses on the accelerated adoption of value-based care. As president of Tribus, he focuses on helping physician practices take on advanced risk-sharing arrangements. In the following Q&A with Healthcare IT News, Fryer offers insights and advice on aligning incentives that deliver the highest level of clinical and financial results.

The United States is one of the most dangerous among wealthy nations for women to give birth.

Disturbingly, it’s even more dangerous for women of color. Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, while maternal mortality rates among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women are two times higher. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these issues. Maternal mortality rates underscore this country’s deep-rooted health inequities. Although this problem is endemic, it’s not intractable. In fact, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. The healthcare system must work to address all of the factors that contribute to maternal health disparities, including barriers to care, systemic inequities, and the way health plans communicate with consumers.

FLASH INTERVIEW

On occasion, we showcase one of our solution providers in a 4-5 minute interview and ask them what they bring to the VBC Community and what sets them apart. 

Today's guest:

Proficient Health improves care delivery and reduces costs by facilitating better communication and delivery/exchange of clinical information across a wide range of providers with disparate systems. Our EHR companion supports better patient care, easier consults, improved operational efficiencies, enhanced in-network optimization and lowered costs for both healthcare providers and patients.

Visit the Proficient Health Exhibit Booth