Volume III, Issue 50

Dec. 12, 2016
Five Quick Ways A New HHS Secretary Could Change The Course Of Health Policy
WH
Julie Rovner reporting for KHN on December 9, 2016:

Prospective Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, currently the chairman of the House Budget Committee, brings a distinctive to-do list to the agency. And, if confirmed by the Senate, he will have tremendous independent power to get things done.

While he will report to the president, heads of major agencies like HHS - with a budget of more than $1 trillion for the current fiscal year - can interpret laws in different ways than their predecessors, and rewrite regulations and guidance, which is how many important policies are actually carried out.

WIM
The author goes on to outline five key areas where Dr. Price, an orthopaedic surgeon critical of the Bundled Payment reimbursement model, could alter the path of health policy.

Behind the Curtain: Medicine or Marketing?
WH
An SFBJ Behind the Curtain report posted 12/9/16 asserts:

Hundreds of doctors in Florida received non research-related payments and services from drug and medical device companies - to the tune of $130 million.

WIM
According to the report's authors:

While critics worry payments can influence prescribing practices and treatment decisions, others argue they drive innovation and improve care.
AMGA Offers Recommendations to New Administration and Congress to Further the Transition to Value-Based Care
2nd Annual Risk Survey Finds Barriers to Risk Remain
WH
In a 12/8/16 AMGA press release:

AMGA today offered recommendations to the incoming Trump-Pence Administration and Congress to further the transition to a value-based healthcare system, based in part on a new membership survey that found significant obstacles are slowing the transition. Impediments include limited access to claims data, risk-based insurance contracts, and investment capital.

The survey of AMGA members-multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care that deliver care to one in three Americans-found that 58 percent are ready to embrace alternatives to fee-for-service payments, including downside risk, within two years, but that commercial payers generally are not offering risk products in their local markets. Moreover, respondents predicted that a smaller percent of future revenue will come from more advanced risk-based arrangements like shared-risk and partial- or full-capitation products, and that fee-for-service payment will account for a larger share of revenue than they anticipated in a similar 2015 survey.

WIM
"AMGA members are leaders in the movement toward value-based care models, and they have invested the time and resources to succeed under risk-based payment arrangements," said Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE, AMGA's President and CEO. "Our suggested reforms will improve federal policies that help ensure the healthcare system truly transforms to one based on value."

Read the full press release HERE

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Florida Health Industry Week in Review is published every Monday by FHIcommunications

Each Monday morning we share the top healthcare headlines of the previous week and summarize What Happened (WH) and Why It Matters (WIM).

To learn how you can join our team of editorial contributors, contact Jeffrey Herschler.
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