Utilization news and information

Have you heard this joke before?How do you know when a total joint implant sales rep is at the hospital? When the orthopedic surgeons' cars aren't the nicest ones in the parking lot.
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A list of all 50 states ranked by total acute-care discharges per 1,000 people, based on fiscal 2011 data. Source: American Hospital Directory; U.S. Census Bureau. Published Aug. 5, 2013, p. 34.
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Unlike a number of other publicly traded health insurers that did very well in the second quarter, Universal American Corp., which specializes in Medicare Advantage products, reported an adjusted net loss for the second quarter. Its revenue slid and its medical-loss ratio came in significantly...
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A new report from the Institute of Medicine may finally put to rest the idea that policymakers should adopt a geographically based value index to set Medicare reimbursements, a proposal favored by providers and members of Congress in regions that have high-quality, low-cost care.
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Patient engagement is one of the hottest topics today in healthcare reform, as more attention is paid to improving results from care delivery.How exactly to bring about this engagement remains a matter of debate, as providers and patients see the root of the problem differently.
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How did Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization meet Medicare's cost targets and receive substantial shared savings in the first year of the Medicare Pioneer ACO experiment? Data analytics.
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Studies of healthcare systems in the U.S. and abroad show providers have achieved financial and clinical success with implementing telehealth services, according to a report by the healthcare research arm of Computer Sciences Corp.
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It's long been known that healthcare does not fit the standard model for perfect competition. Author Douglas Hough goes further: He says patients, providers and other stakeholders are irrational.
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Advocates say standardization of healthcare protocols and procedures can save lives, time and money, but that doesn't mean establishing standards is easy.
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Engaging patients in their care is often touted as a surefire way to control costs and reduce utilization of services, but new research calls that assumption into question.
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