Self-Insured Employers Growing Ever-More Frustrated With High Costs Increasingly Interested In Rate Regulation
The findings suggest a growing openness among employers to regulatory approaches for controlling healthcare costs, even though the business community traditionally favored market-based solutions. Other health industry news focuses on accountable care organizations, social determinants, and surprise medical bills.
Modern Healthcare:
Employers Increasingly Open To Provider Rate Regulation
Frustrated with rising provider prices, nearly three quarters of self-insured employers favor hospital rate regulation, according to a new survey by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. The survey of 90 mid-size and large employers also found that a third see Democratic proposals for a Medicare public option plan as very helpful or somewhat helpful for their employee health benefit strategies. Another 29% were neutral on that approach. (Meyer, 2/20)
Modern Healthcare:
ACOs Urge CMMI For More Information On Direct Contracting Models
Accountable care organizations are claiming they don't have all the information needed to decide if they want to participate in the direct contracting options from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation even though the deadline to apply for the implementation period is days away. The application window to participate in the implementation period of the direct contracting models closes Feb. 25, but in a letter to the Innovation Center, the National Association of ACOs claims specific information about benchmarking, risk adjustment and capitated payments haven't yet been released. (Castellucci, 2/20)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospitals Struggle To Advance Social Determinants Of Health
The waiting rooms at OSF HealthCare’s clinics are pretty standard—magazines, TVs and chairs—except for one detail: iPads. Patients who check in for primary-care appointments are encouraged to use the tablet to fill out a short 14-question survey that assesses their likelihood of facing challenges with 10 domains of social determinants of health, such as food, transportation or financial insecurity. It’s not what many patients expect when waiting to see their primary-care doctor, particularly in rural Illinois, where many of OSF’s clinics are located. (Cohen, 2/15)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Ga. Measures Aimed At Surprise Medical Billing Run Into Back-And-Forth
Georgia lawmakers are in intense talks to reduce surprise medical bills for people with individual insurance plans. A state House bill that appeared headed for a big vote has been sent back to committee. A sister bill has passed in a Senate committee after contentious exchanges. (Hart, 2/20)
