About health insurance/insurers
How Highmark Health Is Battling Food Insecurity “Highmark Health has been launching a series of initiatives to support the "food as medicine" movement, including a program that provides some West Virginia residents with debit cards to purchase healthy food at Dollar General stores.”
Association of a Medicare Advantage Posthospitalization Home Meal Delivery Benefit With Rehospitalization and Death “In this comparative cohort study including 4032 older adults with hospital admission for heart failure and 7944 with non–heart failure admission, the Medicare Advantage home-delivered meals benefit was associated with lower odds of 30-day rehospitalization and death.”
Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Patterns Among Beneficiaries With Multiple Chronic Conditions “Although MA disenrollment rates decreased over time, having multiple chronic conditions was not associated with switching between MA and FFS between 2010 and 2019…
Several reasons may explain the study findings. First, the current risk-adjusted payments may have mitigated MA plans’ incentives to avoid high-risk enrollees. Second, MA plans may make efforts to retain sicker people from whom they can generate larger revenue from risk-adjusted payments. Third, MA plans have lower out-of-pocket costs with supplemental benefits to manage chronic conditions that are particularly helpful for those with multiple conditions.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
New Health Care Equity Certification Program “Effective July 1, 2023, a new Health Care Equity (HCE) certification program will be available from The Joint Commission. This certification program will recognize hospitals and critical access hospitals that strive for excellence in their efforts to provide equitable care, treatment, and services. The HCE certification is available for all Joint Commission–accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals and non-Joint Commission–accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals that comply with applicable federal laws, including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Conditions of Participation.”
JUNE 2023 National Hospital Flash Report “Key Takeaways
Hospitals’ operating margins moved back into positive territory in May.
However, operating margins continue to stand well below historical norms.
People are becoming more comfortable with inpatient care.
Discharges, emergency department visits and operating room minutes all climbed, although very modestly on a year-to-date basis.
There is a sizeable and growing gap between primary hospital revenue sources.
Revenue from outpatient care is increasing at a much greater rate than revenue from inpatient care.
Labor expenses are beginning to decline.
While labor costs remain significant, expenses in May were well below comparable levels from May 2022.”
About pharma
Oncology group revises guidance amid cancer drug shortage “With about a dozen cancer drugs on back order and no clear end to the shortages, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology recently advised clinicians to ration chemotherapy supplies.
The updated guidelines recommend curbing or halting pharmaceutical treatment for patients with ‘recurrent, agent-resistant cancers’ — which means saving therapies for patients with a better chance of surviving.
About healthcare personnel
Green-Card Backlog Fuels Shortage of Nurses at Hospitals, Nursing Homes “Foreign nurses can’t get green cards to work in the U.S., alarming hospitals, nursing homes and other medical providers who have relied on them to help alleviate staffing shortages.
Some nursing-home associations say facilities already operating on thin margins could be forced to close or be unable to accept seniors transitioning to care following hospitalizations. Hospitals say the shortage triggered by the backlog could undermine patient care.”