What is the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP)?
Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Provide high-quality, coordinated care to improve outcomes and reduce costs. That’s the primary goal of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The MSSP is an alternative payment model in which eligible providers, hospitals, and suppliers are rewarded for achieving better health for individuals, improving population health, and lowering growth in […]
Healthcare 101: How Healthcare Reimbursement Works?
In most industries, paying for a service or item is straightforward. You see the price, make the payment, and receive the item or service. The entire transaction takes a matter of seconds. Healthcare reimbursement is far more convoluted. The biggest difference between healthcare and other industries is that providers are paid after services are rendered. […]
What is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO)?
ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATION (ACO) The healthcare industry is evolving from better quality care, availability, and lower cost. One of the significant shifts over the last several decades has been from traditional fee-for-service models focused on volume to value-focused models. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Insurance (CMS) found that accountable care organizations (ACOs) were a way […]
ACO vs PCMH: What is the difference?
Health IT Analytics recently reported that Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) value-based care programs, namely it’s accountable care organizations (ACOs) and patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), are earning impressive marks in care and cost quality metrics. Launched in 2015, BCBSA’s Blue Distinction Total Care Program – the umbrella program for BCBSA’s ACOs and PCMHs – […]
What is Clinical Integration?
Clinical integration is a big buzzword, and it plays a large role in a healthcare market that continues to shift towards rewarding providers and health systems that can effectively manage the health of populations instead of just treating those populations when they are ill. But what does it mean? And how does clinical integration differ […]
What is Medical Credentialing?
The Ancient Practice of Credentialing Medical credentialing dates back to Persia in 1000 BC, as outlined by the Cult of Zoroaster. In ancient Persia, to qualify for licensure, a physician had to treat three heretics — if they lived, that qualified the physician to practice medicine for the rest of their natural life. While credentialing […]
7 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction
The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS) for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) may be an optional quality measure for many physicians and facilities, but it can be a great tool to discover what your patients think of both the physician experience and the level of treatment they received. Even if the […]
14 Benefits of E-Prescribing
Benefits of E-Prescribing You glance down at your notes before walking into the room. You see Jane’s name on the chart and smile as you remember that she is a sweet little girl with four adorable, albeit rambunctious brothers. As the visit progresses, you realize Jane has an ear infection, and decide to prescribe a […]
8 Best Practices for Patient Scheduling
Best Practices for Patient Scheduling Patient scheduling is an art. On one hand, you want to maximize your care team’s productivity and see as many revenue-generating patients as possible. On the other hand, you want to avoid long patient wait times and keep patient satisfaction high by giving each the attention they deserve. How do […]
What is a Clinically Integrated Network, and Why Do They Matter?
It’s no secret that the healthcare landscape is changing. Increasingly, there’s a focus on delivering better health outcomes more efficiently and at a lower cost. With healthcare reimbursement shifting towards a “pay for performance” model and an increased focus on population health, health systems and providers are incentivized more and more to look at how […]
