This follows the blog article posted November 28, “Connection and Innovation Take Center Stage at the Patient ENGAGE Conference” and is the second feature regarding the MedCity ENGAGE conference Nov. 6-7 in San Diego. Here, we focus on the aspects of the conference that explored the impact of technology on patient engagement, from wearables to DNA sequencing, to apps used by insureds to quit smoking while reducing insurance premiums in the process.
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Medicare Access
New Study Finds Medicare Advantage Plans Pay Lower Prices Than Traditional Medicare
A new study by Stanford University researchers finds that Medicare Advantage plans pay lower prices than traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare for most types of hospital admissions. According to the study—published earlier this month in Health Affairs—Medicare Advantage plans pay hospitals about 8% less than FFS Medicare for the same services. These findings may come as a surprise to policy experts, as commercial insurers for the non-elderly generally pay far higher prices than FFS Medicare.
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CMS Redefines Alternative Payment Models and Offers Option for Merit-Based Incentive Payment System in New Proposed Rule
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is expected to drastically change how physicians are paid by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Under the proposed rule, physicians will be given the choice between two payment models: alternative payment models (APMs) and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). CMS predicts a majority of physicians will elect to follow MIPS when the new payment models go into effect in January 2019.
Continue Reading CMS Redefines Alternative Payment Models and Offers Option for Merit-Based Incentive Payment System in New Proposed Rule