Alternative payment models are making a difference in health care costs, CMS official says
Published on NJBIZ Is the Affordable Care Act a success? The answer can depend on one’s political affiliation, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is already seeing a bend in the cost curve from alternative payment models. It is important to follow the ideas being generated from CMS, which is the largest spender…Read More…
In NJ, Hospital Data Transparency Reaches High Levels, But Not High Enough Yet
People come to hospitals for care at their most vulnerable moments. They literally put their lives in the hands of health care institutions — the emergency department physicians or the ICU nurses or the operating room surgeons. For years patients made decisions about where to seek treatment without any real information about whether one hospital…Read More…
Take Five: Sean Cavanaugh
Sean Cavanaugh is Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He will be the keynote speaker at the Quality Institute’s Spring Board and Leadership Council on May 4. The topic is: The Move to Alternative Payment Models. Mr. Cavanaugh recently spoke to Symptoms & Cures….Read More…
End-of-Life Care in New Jersey: Majority Has Considered and Discussed Plans, But Far Fewer Have Written Living Wills
Limited awareness of advance care planning documents, palliative care; more widespread knowledge of hospice. Published by Ashley Koning on Rutgers Today NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – In advance of National Health Care Decisions Day on April 16, more than six in 10 New Jerseyans say they are mostly comfortable with getting older and have even thought…Read More…
Most N.J. Residents Avoid End-of-Life Planning, Poll Says
Published by Susan K. Livio on NJ.com TRENTON – Nearly two-thirds of New Jersey residents say they have thought about the kind of medical treatment they want at the end of their lives and discussed their wishes with a loved one or doctor, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released on Thursday. But just as many New…Read More…
‘Strong Start’ for Babies is Smart Way To Invest in Medicaid
The best ways to improve health care do not always require new drugs, sophisticated technology or money. Common sense and compassion, as well as an understanding of human nature, can help us advance health and change lives. One such effort in New Jersey is making a powerful difference in the lives of mothers and babies…Read More…
Take Five: Medical Home for Children is State’s First
Dr. Matthew B. McDonald III leads the state’s first pediatric medical home for children with special healthcare needs. He spoke with Symptoms & Cures about this unique practice, which is part of Children’s Specialized Hospital. Pediatric primary care at Children’s Specialized Hospital has received a medical home designation. We usually think of medical homes as…Read More…
Take Five: Quality Institute Fellow Explains Medicaid 2.0
Matthew D’Oria, a Quality Institute Senior Fellow, is leading Medicaid 2.0. He spoke recently to Symptoms & Cures. First, can you tell us about this ambitious and important initiative called Medicaid 2.0? Sure. At the Quality Institute we’re beginning an effort, funded by The Nicholson Foundation, to re-envision Medicaid in New Jersey. We want to…Read More…
Promoting Wellness Promotes Unity
Too often I find myself frustrated and disheartened by the intolerance and hateful speech that has emerged from our current political landscape. I’m provided with relief, however, every Sunday when I meet my friend Leslie on the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath, where dozens of people of varying ages, ethnicities, and races are brought together…Read More…
6 Smart Ways to Cut Health Care Costs
Published by Michael L. Diamond of the Asbury Park Press New Jersey (March 16, 2016) -You’re on the hook to pay for more of your health care. You are being begged when you feel lousy to call a doctor instead of visiting an emergency room. Your doctor asks if you feel depressed, even if you made…Read More…