Health Care

On March 5, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly launched a cross-government public inquiry into private-equity and other corporations’ involvement in health care. According to the press release, private equity firms and other corporate owners are increasingly involved in health care system transactions, and, at times, those transactions may lead to a maximizing of profits at the expense of quality care. The cross-government inquiry seeks to understand how certain health care market transactions may increase consolidation and generate profits for firms while threatening patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care...

The Profile of Older Americans compiles data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a statistical summary of older Americans. The Profile focuses specifically on the population aged 65 and older and looks at changing demographics across individual categories, including population, income and poverty, living arrangements, education, health, and caregiving.

The CMS Office of the Actuary released the 2018 National Health Expenditures. The study includes estimates on health care services and goods, health insurance costs, government administration, public health activities, and other areas related to health care including personal care, residential services, and nursing care facilities.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an ongoing state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. The 2016 BRFSS survey included questions about six disability types; hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living. One in four (61 million) U.S. adults reported a disability. Disability-specific disparities in health care access were prevalent, particularly among young and middle-aged adults.

The Profile of Older Americans compiles data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a statistical summary of older Americans. The Profile focuses specifically on the population aged 65 and older and looks at changing demographics across individual categories, including population, income and poverty, living arrangements, education, health, and caregiving.

This report from the Center for Oral Health highlights how an alarming number of Californians age 65 years and older are suffering from untreated tooth decay and poor oral health. This report includes a series of recommendations to eliminate barriers to care and improve oral health.

In order to better address health-related social needs, communities across the country have been experimenting with programs to connect health care providers with community-based organizations (CBOs) that address social needs, such as housing, food insecurity, and assistance with utilities and transportation.This brief from the Commonwealth Fund surveys the landscape of these programs, highlights common challenges, and proposes solutions.

This report discusses how state employee health plans are a vehicle that states can use for improving their health care system and moving the commercial market forward on value-based reforms. Currently, in 18 states, state employee plans cover over 10% of the commercial market. State employee health plans have seen success with reference pricing, limited networks, tiering, bundles, and accountable care models.

This webinar is presented by two aging and disability CBO experts with extensive experience packaging services and preparing organizations for contractual-based reimbursement arrangements. They discuss tips on identifying service populations, establishing product lines, building relationships, setting fees and more.

In this webinar, an aging network business development expert walks through the importance of cost and price-modeling, detailing the key steps and definitions in the process, and explains how correct pricing strategies can help CBOs achieve and advance their core mission while maintaining viability and even growth.