Amidst the barrage of events profoundly affecting Americans in 2020, it can be difficult to envision what “normal” will look like when the crisis and election turmoil have passed. For healthcare, however, the signs are clear - and although the changes may not end up being as dramatic as some may have wanted (or feared), the economics of care...
COVID-19 and the upcoming election have kept healthcare access and affordability at the center of the national debate for providers, payers (insurers), regulators and Congress. With all this pressure, 2021 may be the year for healthcare’s long-called-for transformation to a more patient centric operating model.
The findings of a just-published consumer survey confirm a disturbing financial condition affecting patients and the healthcare providers that serve them. Until improved systems for enhancing healthcare affordability are embraced, the financial security of patients and providers is threatened, whether consumers are insured, under-insured or...
In their response to the novel coronavirus, healthcare providers in the United States quickly pivoted to alternative care delivery systems better suited to the extraordinary new needs of healthcare consumers. Forward-looking projections from multiple healthcare industry experts suggest that healthcare’s COVID-19 adaptations are just the...
The COVID-19 crisis has hit hospitals and other healthcare providers with an unprecedented “financial triple whammy” from which some may not recover. As the downturn has laid bare many of the industry’s most ineffective systems, it also presents a remarkable opportunity to embrace digital contactless innovations to survive now and thrive later.
On March 9, 2020, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), under U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its final rules on healthcare interoperability and medical record ownership and access. These rules, titled the Cures Act Final Rules, align with complementary rules proposed by the Center...
Events have converged to force healthcare in America to a tipping point. Stressed by overwhelming financial burdens, better consumer experiences in other sectors and with the support of regulators, patients are flexing their consumer might to force change and stimulate disruption. Traditional providers are taking steps to remain relevant and...
Though the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ updated Star Ratings and proposed rules on hospital price and quality transparency may be clumsy, even ineffective, their intentions are clear. The largest source of revenue to hospitals in the U.S. is setting a new, much higher bar for the way hospitals and payers help patients find and...
Making it easy for patients to pay in advance or at point of service leads to a number of well-documented advantages for both hospitals and patients. But most hospitals lack the ability to engage with patients in a meaningful conversation about price, affordability and payment when it matters most.