e-CareManagement blog

Chronic Disease Management • Technology • Strategy • Issues and Trends

Archive for the "Medicare/Care Coordination" category

Healthways Fights an Uphill Battle on Medicare Health Support Phase II

Earlier this week Healthways issued a press release describing their progress in pursuing a Phase II Medicare Health Support (MHS) project.   Read Dr. Jaan Sidorov’s blog commentary for additional background. In brief, Healthways position is that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is statutorily required to expand into Phase II of MHS if Phase I is “successful”. [...]

Continue reading

 

NYT Provides More “Enlightened Ambiguity” on Medicare Health Support

While not providing anything close to the “final answer”, The New York Times does a good job summarizing the onoging Medicare Health Support (MHS) fracas.  To borrow from one of my colleagues, it’s more “enlightened ambiguity” about the ultimate fate of the MHS beached whale.  Medicare Finds How Hard It Is to Save Money, The New York Times; April 7, [...]

Continue reading

 

The Medicare Health Support Saga: Opacity in Government Going Strong

 Vince Kuraitis and Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH “If you aren’t confused you don’t know what’s going on.” Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric           Thanks to the continuing opacity of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Serices (CMS), we remain confused about the future of Medicare Health Support (MHS). It’s been over a month since we last [...]

Continue reading

 

Podcast Part Deux: Medicare Health Support in Jeopardy

Here’s the link to Part II of the podcast in which Tom Wilson and I are interviewed by Les Masterson of HealthLeaders Media.  If you want to start at the beginning, Part I is available here. Tags: Medicare, Medicare Health Support

Continue reading

 

Medicare Health Support: “Do not go gentle into that good night”

Vince Kuraitis and Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light” Dylan Thomas      Despite CMS’ recent cocktail hour pronouncement that Medicare Health Support (MHS) is on its last legs, many are fighting to prolong its life. Recent Developments DMAA is working with Sen. [...]

Continue reading

 

The Medical Home: Advancing, But Still Many Questions

Paul Keckley and colleagues at the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions have released an important contribution to advance the dialog about the medical home (MH).  It’s entitled The Medical Home: Disruptive Innovation for a New Primary Care Model.  The report offers a strategic perspective on the potential for the MH to address the challenge of chronic care [...]

Continue reading

 

HealthSpring “Gets” Physician Engagement.

I’ve written a lot recently about Medicare Health Support (MHS).  We are learning a lot from MHS about what DOESN’T work with the frail, elderly Medicare population.   But, what DOES work?   One key lesson emerging from MHS is the need to integrate and engage physicians and other local care providers…easier said than done.   MHS [...]

Continue reading

 

Guest Post: The CMS Announcement Of Medicare Health Support Program Cancellation — What It Means For Buyers

by Al Lewis, JD Add the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the growing list of people and organizations who cannot find financial savings through disease management.  Weeks after “lowering the bar” on MHS program savings requirements to 0% from 5%, CMS cancelled the program altogether due to the unlikelihood that the much-reduced threshold for savings would be achieved [...]

Continue reading

 

Insufficient Evidence to End Medicare Health Support

Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH and Vince Kuraitis Last Tuesday during the cocktail hour, CMS issued documents portending the end of the Medicare Health Support (MHS) project.    We initially used the word “bizarre” to describe the announcement from CMS’ staff.  After further thought, “reckless” and/or “insubordinate” strike closer to home. First, let’s have the head-honcho [...]

Continue reading