LOS ANGELES, CA (Nov. 8, 2017) — SONIFI Health and OpenPlacement announced their partnership to make care transition easier for SONIFI Health customers using OpenPlacement’s Patient Choice platform. This partnership connects patients and care providers with the information they need to simplify the care transition process for all.
Read The Full PostAlthough the current hospital discharge planning process meets the needs of many inpatients released from the acute care setting, some discharges result in less-than-optimal outcomes for patients including complications and adverse events that lead to hospital readmissions. Reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and patient complications presents an opportunity for improving the quality and safety of patient care while lowering health care costs.
Read The Full PostAcute care hospitals in certain selected geographic areas will participate in retrospective episode payment models targeting care for medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving services during acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, and surgical hip/femur fracture treatment episodes. All related care within 90 days of hospital discharge will be included in the episode of care.
Read The Full PostHospitals and ACOs are under increasing pressure from the new changes instituted by CMS and the Affordable Care Act's value-based purchasing initiatives to produce lower costs in the aim of providing better quality. They are increasingly responsible for the outcomes of patients not only under their care, but also under the care of Home Health Agencies (HHAs) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs).
Read The Full PostThe hospital, as part of the discharge planning process, must inform the patient or the patient's family of their freedom to choose among participating Medicare providers of post hospital care services and must, when possible, respect patient and family preferences when they are expressed. The hospital must not specify or otherwise limit the qualified providers that are available to the patient.
Read The Full PostIn 2013, the first cohorts participating in The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative entered into payment arrangements emphasizing accountability, both financial and performance-based. These arrangements, championed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), were designed to provide for episodes of care in the aim of reducing costs to Medicare while improving the quality and coordination of patient care.
Read The Full PostSeniors need more Medicare choices, or do they? The answer depends, of course, on who’s doing the asking. Republicans and others advocating a voucher plan for Medicare invoke the choice argument as the rationale for transforming Medicare from social insurance provided by the government to privatized arrangements between individuals and the marketplace. Under a voucher system, the government would give seniors and people who are disabled a fixed amount of money to buy insurance from private carriers much the way the rest of America does.
Read The Full PostWelcome to our first of what we hope to be an annual installment of the top recruiters and job sites in the US for Case Managers, Discharge Planners and Social Workers. As always we take into consideration geographic coverage, clout in the community, specialization, and feedback from our community of Case Managers. If you feel we have missed out on a great recruiter for Case Managers please let us know!
Read The Full PostGrowing up I had two very different grandmothers: one was vivacious, played on her work softball team, traveled with seniors groups, and wouldn’t leave the house without a perfectly made up face and every hair in place. My other grandmother was the complete opposite; she always seemed frail, she had an intimate circle of a few friends, and her style was simple and unassuming. There is one common lesson that I learned from these two women… age is relative (no pun intended!). Let us explore some tips when look for 55 plus communities for seniors.
Read The Full PostLast year my family was forced to change insurance companies. It was a terrible decision to make since we had been seeing our doctors for over 12 years and they knew all of our health issues and treatments. However, we couldn’t keep up with the $500 fee increases that happened in just two short years. All of that leads me to say that change isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to technology and medicine.
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