Comments on: Doctors debate Medicare rules http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/ Health information from The Oklahoman Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:18:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Kyre Cahoon http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-14660 Kyre Cahoon Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:06:20 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/#comment-14660 On behalf of seniors and their physicians, the AMA is urging Congress to act before a Medicare meltdown begins on December 1. Congressional action this month is the only way to stop the Medicare cut. Congress needs to keep Medicare strong for our senior patients and ensure that baby boomers will have access to physicians when they begin receiving their Medicare cards for the first time this January. On behalf of seniors and their physicians, the AMA is urging Congress to act before a Medicare meltdown begins on December 1. Congressional action this month is the only way to stop the Medicare cut. Congress needs to keep Medicare strong for our senior patients and ensure that baby boomers will have access to physicians when they begin receiving their Medicare cards for the first time this January.

]]> By: Scott Hodson http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-9423 Scott Hodson Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:36:02 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/#comment-9423 I believe that the analysis in the NEJM significantly underestimates the impact that this will have on the industry. For example analysis in one Midwestern hospital identified that the average cost to treat a CRBSI was $91,000, whereas the average reimbursement was about $67,000 – an operational loss of $24,000. As of Oct. 1, 2008, reimbursement will be zero. The CDC estimates 250,000 central line-associated infections occur in the United States annually, with an attributable mortality rate of 12 to 25 percent. Many American health systems are significantly underinvested in quality management Infrastructure, Process, and Organization. I believe that Medicare's move towards "pay for performance," which will undoubtedly be embraced by private insurers as well, will provide significant incentive for hospitals and health systems to improve their quality. To achieve breakthrough improvements in quality, patient safety, and resource utilization hospitals and health systems must develop a "world class" quality management foundation that includes: Strategy: including a clear linkage of quality and patient safety to the organizational strategy and a Board-driven imperative to achieve quality goals. Infrastructure: incorporating effective quality management technology, EMR and physician order entry, evidence based care development tools and methodologies, and quality performance metrics and monitoring technology that enables "real time" information. Process: including concurrent intervention, the ability to identify key quality performance "gaps," and performance improvement tools and methodologies to effectively eliminate quality issues. Organization: providing sufficient number and quality of human resources to deliver quality planning and management leadership, adequate informatics management, effective evidence based care and physician order set development, performance improvement activity, and accredition planning to stay "survey ready every day." Culture: where a passion for quality and patient safety is embedded throughout the delivery system and leaders are incented to achieve aggressive quality improvement goals. My firm has assisted a number of progressive health systems to achieve such a foundation, and to develop truly World Class Quality. I believe that the analysis in the NEJM significantly underestimates the impact that this will have on the industry.

For example analysis in one Midwestern hospital identified that the average cost to treat a CRBSI was $91,000, whereas the average reimbursement was about $67,000 – an operational loss of $24,000. As of Oct. 1, 2008, reimbursement will be zero. The CDC estimates 250,000 central line-associated infections occur in the United States annually, with an attributable mortality rate of 12 to 25 percent.

Many American health systems are significantly underinvested in quality management Infrastructure, Process, and Organization. I believe that Medicare’s move towards “pay for performance,” which will undoubtedly be embraced by private insurers as well, will provide significant incentive for hospitals and health systems to improve their quality. To achieve breakthrough improvements in quality, patient safety, and resource utilization hospitals and health systems must develop a “world class” quality management foundation that includes:

Strategy: including a clear linkage of quality and patient safety to the organizational strategy and a Board-driven imperative to achieve quality goals.

Infrastructure: incorporating effective quality management technology, EMR and physician order entry, evidence based care development tools and methodologies, and quality performance metrics and monitoring technology that enables “real time” information.

Process: including concurrent intervention, the ability to identify key quality performance “gaps,” and performance improvement tools and methodologies to effectively eliminate quality issues.

Organization: providing sufficient number and quality of human resources to deliver quality planning and management leadership, adequate informatics management, effective evidence based care and physician order set development, performance improvement activity, and accredition planning to stay “survey ready every day.”

Culture: where a passion for quality and patient safety is embedded throughout the delivery system and leaders are incented to achieve aggressive quality improvement goals.

My firm has assisted a number of progressive health systems to achieve such a foundation, and to develop truly World Class Quality.

]]> By: Darwin Corby http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Darwin Corby Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:52:00 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/health/2007/10/18/doctors-debate-medicare-rules/#comment-12 The Medicare part d plan does not address enough. Sure it helps some people, but a large minority are still stuck with major bills if they reach the doughnut hole. Thanks for pointing out the not so obvious pitfalls of preventable conditions The Medicare part d plan does not address enough. Sure it helps some people, but a large minority are still stuck with major bills if they reach the doughnut hole.

Thanks for pointing out the not so obvious pitfalls of preventable conditions

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