Reimbursement

In coming years, health systems will likely take on more risk for the health outcomes of their patient populations. If they are looking to prepare for the inevitable, support programs for Type 2 diabetes may be a good place to start.

UnitedHealth continued its shopping spree on Tuesday with Optum, the group's technology and services subsidiary, agreeing to pay $600 million to acquire Alere Inc.'s condition management and wellness subsidiaries.

The raison d'etre and central function of health insurers has had a slow time coming into the 21st century. But with both providers and patients demanding a better experience, the impetus for progress could bring a critical mass.

I recently had to reschedule a routine exam with my hospital-based primary care doctor and so decided to use the supposed rescheduling functionality on the patient portal to carry out this task. 

Characterizing patients as non-compliant has long been an excuse for physicians not fully engaging people, but that needs to change. Patient engagement activities are increasingly important, as practices get more involved in value-based care models such as accountable care organizations.

More than 83 percent of physician practices do not believe current Medicare physician quality reporting programs enhanced their physicians' ability to provide high-quality patient care, according to new research released Monday.

Many years ago, there was a saying in American politics to describe an important bellwether state: "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." Today the state is still an important indicator, especially in healthcare. 

The price transparency movement may be picking up speed, but consumers lack the ability and resources to translate and comprehend the information.

Facing the fact that just 5 percent of the patient population was responsible for nearly half of its spending, one health organization has tried some fairly radical changes.

Eight family-physician-related groups, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, have formed Family Medicine for America's Health, a coalition to improve the public perception of what they do and advance their interests through state and federal policies.