| “Even before COVID-19, we knew that to change the way health care is delivered to minority communities, we needed to team with and support our providers. By increasing provider capacity and capabilities to deliver care that is more equitable and more responsive to the social determinants of health, we are aiming to make demonstrable progress, which is long overdue. What you look like and where you live shouldn’t be a factor in your health.” | ||
| -Salma Khaleq, VP Provider Strategy and Partnerships, BCBS of Illinois |
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An AMA survey about COVID-19 pandemic's impact found that the
percentage of physicians with any telehealth visits increased
from 20% during a typical pre-pandemic week to 77% at the height
of use during the pandemic (68% at time of survey mid-July
through end of August). The average physician reported having
six weekly telehealth visits in February; increasing to 29
weekly visits during the height of telehealth use during the
pandemic; and decreasing to 16 at the time of the survey. Even
with the additional telehealth visits, physicians on average
reported that total visits were down from 101 per week in
February to 72 in July and August. More than two-thirds of
doctors saw a fall in patient visits over this period, with 10%
reporting a drop of 75% or more. Another 11% saw patient visits
drop between 50% and 74%. Source: AMA COVID-19 Physician Practice Financial Impact Survey Results, October 2020 |
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JAMA: Changes in Health
Services Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. The number of colonoscopies declined by 44% in March 2020; and by 93% in April 2020 2. Privately insured adults had 42% fewer mammograms in March 2020, and 90% fewer in April 2020 3. Those with private insurance had 91% fewer cataract procedures in April 2020 4. The number of hemoglobin A1C tests - a primary method of testing for diabetes - fell by 69% in April 2020 5. Magnetic resonance imaging scans dropped by 63% 6. Routine vaccinations declined by 23% 7. Hemotherapy treatments and angioplasty procedures decreased by just over 7% and 33%, respectively. 8. In-person office visits to healthcare providers declined by 25% in March 2020; and by 68% in April 2020 Source: JAMA: Changes in Health Services Use Among Commercially Insured US Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
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Why the Affordable Care Act is back before the Supreme Court,
amid a pandemic
Health care policy was a major topic during the
presidential campaign, and President Trump’s administration has
long sought to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. But
Obamacare, as it is popularly known, is now deeply woven into
American health. With health insurance for tens of millions in
the balance, the legislation was back before the U.S. Supreme
Court on Tuesday. |
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Check out
HealthshareTV, the
home for health care videos |
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Changing the systems that burn out clinicians The novel coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the clinician burnout problem, and health experts believe the solution should go beyond individual resilience to encompass a systems approach that identifies causes and strategies that will be effective now and after the crisis. SmartBrief, November 9, 2020 President-elect Joe Biden’s healthcare agenda In many ways, Joe Biden is promising a return to the Obama administration’s approach to healthcare: Building on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through incremental expansions in government-subsidized coverage; Continuing CMS’ progress toward value-based care; Bringing down drug prices; Supporting modernization of the FDA. Bolder ideas, such as developing a public option, resolving “surprise billing,” allowing for negotiation of drug prices by Medicare, handing power to a third party to help set prices for some life sciences products, and raising the corporate tax rate, could be more challenging to achieve without overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate. PwC, November 9, 2020 Physician survey details depth of pandemic’s financial impact The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 continues to climb and is likely to worsen as colder temperatures drive Americans indoors and case counts go up. And, while the pandemic appropriately receives much of the nation’s health care focus, Americans’ other chronic and acute medical and behavioral health conditions did not go away. AMA, October 28, 2020 One of the big reasons for Intermountain Healthcare, Sanford Health merger When it comes to their size by revenue, total number of employees and care sites, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Sanford Health aren't all that different. While they come from different religious traditions, both are faith-based, non-profit organizations. "Numerically, we're almost identical twins in terms of the healthcare delivery side," said Sanford Health's CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft. Why merge now? Fierce Healthcare, October 26, 2020 |
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CVS Health to invest in affordable housing,
expand no-cost preventive health screenings in Orlando CVS Health today announced it will invest in 116 units of affordable housing and expand its no-cost preventive health screening program to Orlando as part of the company's commitment of nearly $600 million over five years to address racial inequity and social determinants of health in Black communities. Press Release, November 10, 2020 U.S. Supreme Court justices appear unlikely to throw out Obamacare U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday signaled they are unlikely to strike down the Obamacare healthcare law in a legal challenge brought by Texas and 17 other Republican-governed states and joined by President Donald Trump’s administration. Reuters, November 10, 2020 What SCOTUS Oral Arguments in ACA Case Mean for Hospitals The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in California v. Texas Tuesday morning, an ongoing case which could decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and have repercussions for hospitals and health systems. Tuesday's hearing was the two-year culmination of the latest legal challenge to the landmark healthcare legislation passed in March 2010. HealthLeaders, November 10, 2020 How Biden plans to change the US pandemic response President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris say they will move the US Covid-19 pandemic response in a dramatically different direction. "The pandemic is getting significantly more worrisome all across the country," Biden said on Friday. "I want everyone to know on day one, we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action." CNN, November 9, 2020 Diagnostic tests, elective procedures dropped early in COVID-19 pandemic U.S. residents with private insurance sought fewer diagnostic tests and skipped or postponed elective surgeries in March and April compared with the same months in 2018 and 2019, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found. UPI, November 5, 2020 ObamaCare enrollment faces new challenges from courts, COVID-19 The Affordable Care Act’s annual open enrollment period kicked off Sunday amidst uncertainty caused by legal challenges to the law as well as the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of people have lost their health coverage this year after losing their jobs in the economic downturn caused by the health pandemic. Open enrollment risks being overshadowed by the disruptions caused by the pandemic, elections, and the Supreme Court’s pending oral arguments and eventual decision in a case challenging the ACA’s constitutionality. Politico, November 2, 2020 New Trump policy will force insurers to disclose prices up front Health insurers will be required to publicly post, in advance, the price for the most common services and procedures, under a rule finalized by the Trump administration on Thursday. The final rule is an effort to inject transparency into the opaque health care sector, and comes less than a week before the culmination of a campaign in which President Trump has been hammered on health care by Democratic nominee Joe Biden for his efforts to overturn ObamaCare and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The Hill, October 29, 2020 BCBS of Illinois Leading New Efforts with Providers to Improve Health Equity Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is partnering with the provider community on additional programs aimed at improving health care outcomes in minority groups, increasing the diversity and cultural competency of the physician workforce and advancing awareness on implicit bias — the unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that can influence behavior. Press Release, October 28, 2020 Pandemic Continues to Drive Performance Declines for U.S. Hospitals The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create a difficult, uncertain operating environment for the nation’s hospitals, health systems, and physician practices, according to two new Kaufman Hall reports—the October National Hospital Flash Report and the new, quarterly Physician Flash Report. KaufmanHall, October 27, 2020 |
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