The URAC Report

On April 19th, President Trump signed into law (S. 544) extending the Veterans Choice Program which allows some veterans to receive healthcare from local doctors and hospitals.  The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support – the bill was approved, by voice vote, in both the House and the Senate.

Healthcare organizations increasingly view telehealth technology as a strategic tool in expanding the reach of their services. According to a survey released on April 19 by the tax, audit and advisory firm KPMG, one-third of providers now use video-based virtual care and remote patient monitoring services, while about three-quarters of healthcare organizations currently have virtual care incentives in place.

Advanced telehealth programs have the potential to transform the workers’ compensation industry, providing injured employees with a convenient, personal and effective alternative to on-site medical care while reducing utilization of unnecessary services.

With healthcare costs on the rise, telehealth is increasingly being seen as a way for healthcare organizations to save money. A March 2017 report by The Rural Broadband Association suggests telehealth use holds the potential for robust savings. While the cost savings vary by state, the U.S. national average of hospital cost savings per medical facility is estimated at $20,841. In California, for example, the annual hospital cost savings is estimated at $104,564 per facility.   

LAS VEGAS, NV –  April 24, 2017  – URAC’s President and CEO Kylanne Green and Director of Pharmacy Heather Bonome have been selected to speak at the 2017 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit at the Wynn & Encore Las Vegas. URAC is the premier accrediting organization in the U.S. pharmacy industry.

WASHINGTON, DC – April 19, 2017 –Independent accreditor URAC today released a new Industry Insight Report for specialty pharmacy providers entitled “Competing in the Specialty Pharmacy Market: Key Competencies for Performance in Value-Based Healthcare.” The report examines why specialty pharmacies need to incorporate a sixth right -- the right result -- to the traditional “five rights” of medication administration, to be successful in the value-based healthcare model. The patient-centric care model, when employed by specialty pharmacies, means working with individual patients and their providers to achieve the drug’s intended therapeutic result and prevent a costly hospital stay.

Washington, DC -- In a series of articles with nationally recognized health industry leaders, URAC finds that value-based, coordinated care will continue to be the goal for physicians, pharmacists, case managers and others. URAC, the independent leader in promoting healthcare quality through accreditation, education and measurement, compiled comments from industry leaders over several weeks. The articles appear on the URAC blog.

I once had a local politician tell me that a poll reflects the mood of the particular day it was taken and often ends up wrong in the end. For him, people were fickle and he wouldn’t let one poll dictate his fate.