VBC Newsstand Weekly: "Promote ACO Success Under Value-Based Payment With These 5 Data Sources" & more!

Serving the Value-Based Care Community

March 31, 2023

Welcome to this week's issue of VBC Newsstand brought to you by VBCExhibitHall.com

Browse our free resources!

Promote ACO Success Under Value-Based Payment With These 5 Data Sources

Roji Health Intelligence | March 30, 2023

ACOs have used “old school” data sources for many years to focus coordination of care activities. Perhaps your ACO has done the same, using reports such as admissions and ER discharges, post-acute admissions, visit history and missing labs to target patients for outreach. Similarly, your ACO might use HCCs to identify patients with higher risk factors for population health. Basic, easily found data like these sources provided a means for ACOs to launch valuable efforts in population health, when comprehensive claims and EHR data were not easily available. But as the pendulum swings toward financial Risk, your ACO needs to shift from Fee-for-Service to value-based payment models, upping the ante on data to protect your bottom line.

How Congress Can Strengthen Primary Care Through Medicare Payment Reform

The Commonwealth Fund | March 27, 2023

Primary care is associated with improved life expectancy and reduced health care disparities. It is the frontline of our health care system, and is critical for tackling the growing behavioral health crisis and addressing social needs of patients, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its value, several indicators suggest that the sustainability and future of primary care is at risk. The percent of people reporting a usual source of care is declining and, compared to other high-income countries, U.S. patients report worse access to care and poor care coordination. Conditions are likely to deteriorate further as the supply of primary care physicians (PCPs) shrinks, particularly in rural areas, as a result of more physicians reaching retirement age, fewer physicians choosing to go into primary care, and growing burnout. As one of the country’s largest payers, Medicare can have a profound impact in addressing these issues and revitalizing primary care in the United States.

Taking Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) From Data to Analysis and Action

Healthcare IT Today| March 24, 2023

Healthcare organizations are spending significant resources – time, money, and human capital – to address social determinants of health (SDoH) and health equity. Effective execution requires going upstream of the programming itself to understand the social determinants of a population. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the U.S. SDoH market is growing with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.9% between 2023 to 2030 and is expected to reach over $43 million by 2030 from more than $8 million in 2022. And it’s been found that private insurance companies spend $1.87B on SDoH data, with the top six insurers accounting for 72% of that SDoH spend. And while the data is a few years old, a study found that 57 health systems invested at least $2.5B in SDoH over a two-year period. There’s a strong emphasis and substantial funds are being spent in this area of healthcare – and it’s not slowing down.

Empowering Patients to Choose Emergency Department Alternatives

Innovista Health Solutions | March 27, 2023

The emergency department (ED) is vital to any healthcare system, providing immediate care for acute injuries or traumatic/life-threatening health issues by a highly trained team of medical professionals. This kind of life-saving care is undoubtedly invaluable. However, there are plenty of circumstances where the ED may not be the most appropriate choice. In fact, research shows that nearly 30% of ED visits could be better addressed in a primary care setting. It’s important for patients to realize that there may be more appropriate choices to treat health concerns that are not life-threatening. Unnecessary ED visits lead to an overburden on the healthcare system, driving costs and consuming the time of medical professionals who need to attend to the acutely ill.