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primary care
An Open Letter to the Obama Health Team on Health IT Spending
By David C. Kibbe, MD MBA and Brian Klepper, PhD
It seems likely that the Obama administration and Congress will spend a significant amount on health IT by attaching it as a first-order priority to the fiscal stimulus package. We take the President-elect at his word when he recently said:
"…we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help […]
Health Wonk Review — The “Just the Facts, Ma’am” Edition
The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I carry a badge blog. My name’s Friday.
Click here (short) or here (long) for Dragnet theme music.
A crime of disorderly conduct has been committed. The U.S. health care system is the prime suspect. My partner Gannon and I will investigate.
Disruption in the Neighborhood? The PCs Build the Medical Home.
There’s a new house being built in the vacant lot across the street. It’s the medical home, and it is going to be occupied by several primary care physician families (PCs).
From what’s been said, the PCs are nice folks and will make good neighbors. They’re friendly, many are Episcopalian, they like white picket fences, and they have barbeques on Sunday afternoons. The neighborhood they’re coming from is not as well off nor as pristine — they’re said to be suffering from […]
What’s the Best Way to Get Hospitals Involved in Care Coordination?
Pay them to do it, take money away when they don’t — make hospitals accountable for their role in avoiding unnecessary readmissions.
Mark E. Miller, Ph.D., Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission testified recently in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. He opened his remarks by stating:
The health care delivery system we see today is not a true system: care coordination is rare, specialist care is favored over primary care, quality of care is often poor, and costs are high […]
Attend the Best DM/Population Health Conference of the Year!
In a little less than three weeks, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance will open its 10th annual meeting , in Hollywood, Fla. – a notable milestone for an organization that has evolved with its membership over the past decade.
I’ll be there, presenting with Dr. Victor Villagra on the "March toward Data Interoperability" and the outlook for disease management.
The content this year promises to be among the best yet, with a new track on […]
Details “Emerge” on the Medicare Medical Home Demonstration
Where would one expect to find CMS’ latest thinking on the upcoming Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project? The obvious answer would be “on the Official CMS MMHD home page ”, but you’d be wrong.
CMS has issued a Medicare Medical Home Demonstration Payment Contractor RFP available on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Thanks to the Google Alert service for digging this out.
For the casual reader, the details of the MMHD are taking shape nicely. CMS and its advisors have obviously […]
Medical Home PowerPoint and Latest Perspectives
Last week my esteemed colleague Dr. Jaan Sidorov and I conducted a webinar for WRG on Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) developments.
The process of updating a PowerPoint forces one to collect one’s thoughts, and I’m glad to share with you the PowerPoint slides along with a few highlights about the evolution of the PCMH. The highlights:
AHIP “Adopts” Medical Home Principles: Huh?
On the surface, you might think that a press release issued by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) adopting principles for a patient centered medical home (PCMH) would advance the cause.
But, look further…
The principles endorsed by AHIP only vaguely resemble the Joint Principles of the PCMH endorsed by 4 major primary care physician groups . These groups represent over 300,000 physicians. (See below for a summary listings of AHIP and physicians’ principles supporting the PCMH).
Why?
Why didn’t AHIP didn’t just endorse the […]
Extra: Will $87 Per Hour Rescue Primary Care?
Since the AMA has issued some “real” numbers relating to the RUC’s recommendations for valuing the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), I’ve added a fourth part to this series.
The June 2 issue of American Medical News provides payment scenarios for a medical home:
The Medical Home: Pull the RUC Out
This third and final post in the series addresses questions about the future of the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCHM):
What’s problematic about using the RUC methodology with the PCMH?
What’s the optimal level for a PCMH care management fee?
Should primary care leaders pull the RUC out? How?
What’s Problematic About Using the RUC Methodology with the PCMH?
There are at least two reasons for not having the RUC methodology seen anywhere in the same county country as the PCMH. First, the RUC methodology doesn’t […]