Feds try to steer home care toward technology, value-based care Expect cheers, complaints or (most likely) both from your home care accounts this year. That’s because changes are coming to the industry in 2019, 2020 and 2021, including: “Remote patient monitoring” has been defined under the Medicare home health benefit, and the costs of such monitoring will be an … [Read more...]
Physician Practices Question MACRA
Reporting is cumbersome, and clinical benefits and financial rewards are lacking, they say The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is pleased with the way its new payment policy for physicians – better known as MACRA – is working out. But some physician groups don’t share the government’s sunny assessment. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, … [Read more...]
RepCorner: Ed Draper
Ed Draper: The fire within As a kid in Kaleva, Michigan, Ed Draper knew he wanted to help people. And he had a pretty good idea how he would do so – firefighting, like his father. After years of doing so, he found that selling medical supplies and equipment to first responders was another way to help people. He was named Rookie of the Year and Account Manager of the Year … [Read more...]
Bottom line: Obesity itself is harmful
A Cleveland Clinic genetic analysis has found that obesity itself – not just the adverse health effects associated with it – significantly increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. The paper was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open. Coronary artery disease – and complications that arise from it, such as … [Read more...]
Supply Chain Executive Profile Steve Pohlman
Supply Chain Executive Profile Steve Pohlman Senior Director, Materials Management Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio A native of Southwest Ohio, Steve Pohlman received his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from the University of Dayton. He also holds an MBA from Wright State University. Prior to beginning his healthcare career in 1997, he worked in … [Read more...]
Diverse Companies Find Doors Opening
But the rules of the game are the same as those for all suppliers There are plenty of opportunities in the healthcare supply chain for diverse suppliers these days. “Doors continue to open like we’ve never seen in the past,” says Millie Maddocks, founder and CEO of MAC Medical Supply Co. in Chicago. But business is business. “Diversity may open some doors, but it … [Read more...]
Oral Arguments
Researchers continue to make the connection between oral health and chronic disease Editor’s note: Chronic diseases and conditions – such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity and arthritis – are among the most common, costly and preventable of all health problems. As of 2012, about half of all adults – 117 million … [Read more...]
Doc Wrong Way Gets it Right
Rep Corner Ron Smith has a Bronze Star for valor, and a bunch of gold ones for 43 years in medical sales He’s not quite Forrest Gump, but Ron Smith, territory sales consultant for the Laboratory Products division of Cardinal Health, has led a pretty interesting life. Born in Manitoba, Canada, he was raised in Odessa, Texas. He graduated in 1966 from Permian High … [Read more...]
PDPM: A Resident-Centered Plan
Post-Acute Care New reimbursement method will compensate SNFs for caring for medically complex residents Effective Oct. 1, 2019, your SNF customers will receive Medicare reimbursement based on a new model of payment, called Patient Driven Payment Model, or PDPM. It’s designed to be budget-neutral and, in a global sense, it very well might be. But there will be winners … [Read more...]
Supply Chain Executive Profile: Lynn Cook
Lynn Cook CEO Richmond Consolidated Service Center HealthTrust Supply Chain Richmond, Virginia A native of “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia,” Lynn Cook graduated from the medical technology program at West Liberty State College, and became a staff medical technologist at Wheeling Hospital. She also served as a medical technologist with a major reference laboratory before … [Read more...]