Avicenna Medical Blog

DeAnn Dennis

Recent Posts

Care Management Weekly News Update 7/3/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, Jul 03, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

Michigan Medicine estimated there are more than 500,000 hack attempts aimed at its systems daily. While many are less elaborate means like robocalls, Dr. Marschall Runge, the health system’s CEO, said about 60 to 80 attempts per month are “highly sophisticated.”Health care systems and their vendors have increasingly been the target of cyberattacks in recent years. When successful, these schemes can...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 6/26/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, Jun 26, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

Crippling ransomware attacks against hospitals and health care providers are on the rise. These ruthless cyberattacks can take medical systems offline for weeks—canceling appointments and surgeries and causing harm to patients. Doctors and nurses are plunged into crisis situations where they resort to using pen and paper, while IT staff work to make systems safe and bring them back online. The recovery ...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 6/19/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, Jun 19, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

Executives at major health plans spoke of the importance of moving the healthcare system towards value-based care. Providence Health Plan CEO Don Antonucci said the time is now for payers and providers to embrace the shift, particularly as more of the financial burden from the traditional Medicare system is pushed onto employers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) previously set a goal...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 6/12/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, Jun 12, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

Even as concerns continue over the sub-optimal use of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly that of generative AI, in healthcare, some healthcare leaders and researchers see tremendous opportunities for transforming the United States’ public health infrastructure using generative AI tools. In that regard, a team of experts has authored a commentary article published in the June issue of

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Care Management Weekly News Update 6/5/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, Jun 05, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

A new report says that capturing participant experiences in both the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model and ACO models can help inform how bundled payments might be incorporated into ACOs in the future. In Model Year 4, the BPCI Advanced Model, which began in 2018 and is scheduled to conclude in 2025, resulted in Medicare program savings for the first time since the model began...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 5/29/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, May 29, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hasextendedits EHR contract with Oracle Health for one month while negotiations for a new deal continue. The new VA EHR has been beset with problems since it began rolling out in 2020, leading to care disruptions and even beingtiedto patient deaths. The agency said it "remains committed to holding Oracle Health accountable" while it works out a new contract.

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Care Management Weekly News Update 5/23/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Thu, May 23, 2024 @ 11:49 AM

After another judicious attempt by stakeholders, the American Medical Association’s coding committee rejected a proposal to change remote monitoring codes. The American Medical Association’s (AMA's) CPT Editorial Panel, which is responsible for creating medical billing codes, again forfeited an opportunity to move forward with remote patient monitoring billing code reform.

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Care Management Weekly News Update 5/15/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, May 15, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday it has established a new task force to take on healthcare monopolies and collusion. The task force, called HCMC for short, will guide the division’s enforcement strategy and policy approach in healthcare, including by facilitating policy advocacy, investigations and, where warranted, civil and criminal...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 5/08/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, May 08, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

The widespread ban on noncompete contracts finalized last week by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will throw a wrench into the staffing and finances of nonprofit hospitals, legal experts and Fitch Ratings analysts say. Those changes are expected despite the agency’s limited jurisdiction over entities that aren’t corporations, experts say. The rule, which forbids new...

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Care Management Weekly News Update 5/01/24

Posted by DeAnn Dennis on Wed, May 01, 2024 @ 11:45 AM

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule reinstating certain regulatory protections against discrimination in healthcare that were stripped in a previous Trump-era rule. The final rule expands Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, age and disability for certain health...

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