What’s New
As PCPs Integrate with Health Systems, Steering Increases Costs
Does vertical integration in healthcare have effects on quality of care provided? This article by RevCycleIntelligence analyzes a Harvard University report which studied the rising trend of PCPs joining hospital systems and its impacts.
The observation of 4 million commercially insured patients in MA treated by physicians who had recently aligned with a health system revealed a link between vertical relationships between PCPs and health systems and a 22.64% increase in specialist visits per patient-year, termed as "steering."
There was no difference in readmission outcomes between newly integrated PCPs and other physicians studied.
Researchers wondered if these findings were indicative of better care coordination or increased costs and limited benefits, especially since readmission rates were similar.
The article concluded that "vertical integration may come with some benefits depending on the relationship between physicians and health systems and financial incentives. However, the impact this type of consolidation has on quality of care and costs remains to be conclusive."
AI Adoption in U.S. Health Care Won’t Be Easy
Harvard Business Review states, “health care innovators must build trust in AI with three critical constituencies: providers, patients, and the public.”
Contact Us to learn more about why HURC is uniquely poised to take clients from FTE augmentation, to automation, through AI integration - all while fully embedded and invested in your organization’s workflow and systems.
Nursing 2023: How Hospitals are Confronting Shortages
We are well-aware that America is plagued with a nursing shortage.
The COVID-19 pandemic strained hospital systems, increased the workload on health professionals, and left broken pieces of the healthcare system in its wake. Looking forward, it's important to ask how we're rebuilding, if at all. How can hospitals ensure that nurses stay motivated to work after COVID-19?
This report by McKinsey & Company dives into recent trends in the nursing workforce as well as what actions stakeholders can take in the short, medium, and long-term to restore nursing in America.
ProPublica: No One Knows How Often Payers Deny Claims
"Americans deserve information and data that has relevance to their own personal health and circumstances," an AHIP spokesperson told ProPublica in a recent report. Read more below about why transparency in the health insurance claim denials process is necessary!
The Nursing Crisis: A Threat To Businesses And Communities
Rebecca Love RN, MSN, FIEL's article explains why it is necessary for businesses to pay attention to nursing shortages and work to collaborate with affected communities.
It also aligns with HURC's mission to consolidate hospitals' administrative tasks so doctors and nurses can focus on providing quality care for patients! Learn more about how we accomplish those initiatives on our Services page.
Denied by AI: How Medicare Advantage plans use algorithms to cut off care for seniors in need
Something to watch out for! "Health insurance companies have rejected medical claims for as long as they’ve been around. But a STAT investigation found artificial intelligence is now driving their denials to new heights in Medicare Advantage, the taxpayer-funded alternative to traditional Medicare that covers more than 31 million people,"
While AI can provide many benefits, is there a point at which it could cause harm as well? Read more in the article below.