Nov 12 2019
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4 Strategies for Improving HCAHPS Scores

Blog, Patient Experience

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a standardized survey developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) that is sent to patients after they have been discharged from a hospital. The HCAHPS Scores are determined by survey measures of patient satisfaction with their hospital experience, asking questions about […]

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Nov 5 2019
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How Can Hospitals Impact Social Determinants of Health?

Blog, Social Determinants

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), or the economic and social conditions that influence the health of patients, have a significant impact on medical outcomes. Factors like homelessness, food insecurity, education quality, and employment opportunities all play a role in an individual’s health and well-being—in fact, some experts say more than 80% of health is directly […]

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Oct 30 2019
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What is BPCI?

Blog, Bundled Payments

Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) was an initiative created by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test the efficacy of several different episode-based payment models in producing higher quality, moore coordinated health care at a lower cost to Medicare. BPCI was launched in 2013 concluded in 2018. The BPCI Advanced Model […]

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Oct 21 2019
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What is OCM 2.0?

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer, Chronic Disease

OCM 2.0 is a proposed alternative to the current Oncology Care Model (OCM) program, and was created by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) in June 2019. COA submitted OCM 2.0 to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), an advisory committee that evaluates physician-focused payment models for the Secretary of Health and Human Services […]

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Oct 18 2019
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OCM Quality Measures

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer, Chronic Disease

The Oncology Care Model (OCM) is an episode-based payment model designed to provide high quality, highly coordinated oncology care at low cost. In order to assess and verify clinical outcomes, patient outcomes, and coordination of care, as well as ensure continued quality of care, CMS measures OCM participants’ performance using quality measures from four of […]

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Oct 16 2019
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What is a MEOS Payment?

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer, Chronic Disease

A Monthly Enhanced Oncology Services (MEOS) payment is part of the two-part payment system specific to the Oncology Care Model (OCM). Under OCM, participating Medicare-enrolled physician groups continue to receive regular fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare payments, but also receive a MEOS payment of $160 per-beneficiary for delivery of “enhanced services,” as well as a retrospective performance-based […]

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Oct 14 2019
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The Oncology Care Model: An Overview

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer, Chronic Disease

The Oncology Care Model (OCM) is an episode-based payment model developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) in order to improve the quality of care cancer patients receive at the same or lower cost. According to the National Cancer Institute, “In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer [were] […]

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Oct 10 2019
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Patient Satisfaction: What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Improve It

Blog, Patient Experience

Patient satisfaction: a subjective measure of whether a patient’s expectations about a health encounter were met. Patient satisfaction can be a loaded term. Patients want a great care experience, and the focus of physicians and nurses is to provide great health care, but these two priorities are not always aligned. Patient satisfaction doesn’t always correlate […]

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Nov 9 2018
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HHS Confirms Launch of New Mandatory Bundled Payment Models

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer

In remarks to the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, HHS Secretary Alex Azar confirmed that new mandatory bundled payment models are coming. During his tenure as Secretary of HHS, Azar has consistently signaled that new, required episode-based payment models are coming, and elaborated on those plans in yesterday’s remarks, saying, “We need results, American patients need change, and […]

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Oct 17 2018
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Mandatory Bundled Payments on the Horizon

Blog, Bundled Payments, Cancer, Chronic Disease

Requiring APMs Necessary to Test Efficacy and Spur Reform, Azar Says There are continuing indications that mandatory alternative payment models (APMS), including mandatory bundled payments, are coming. During remarks to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) on September 6, 2018, Alex Azar, secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), stated, […]

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