Standing Up the ACO: Lessons from South Park?

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH On Sunday I was chatting with a friend in the biz and the conversation turned to ACOs, wherein he whimsically laughed and then relayed a story from a recent California Medical Association (CMA) sponsored event on health reform, the future of medicine and Accountable Care Organizations, wherein one of the …

AMGA 2012: The complete ‘digital footprint’

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH The synopsis tweeted is pasted below: Final ‘digital footprint’ for #AMGA12: Reached 66,842 peeps via 273 tweets & an exposure of 638,735 impressions The trade group arguably representing a majority of forward thinking and innovation oriented, in terms of the active exploration of what and how accountable care business models can be articulated, …

Accountable Care: In Search of Anchor Business Model(s) for the ‘All In’ Healthcare Eco-system

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Part One in a continuing series exploring the ‘all in’ healthcare eco-system (as enumerated by Reed Tuckson, MD aka @DrReedTuckson below) There is no room in the cost curve to accommodate things that don’t add value An article published late last night titled ‘Hospital Groups Will Get Bigger, Moody’s Predicts‘ presented …

Rebuttal and Comment to ‘NYT Op Ed: Emanuel Editorial is Irresponsible and Naive’

By Vince Kuraitis Zeke Emanuel’s editorial in the New York Times — The End of Health Insurance Companies — really got my blood boiling. It’s irresponsible and naive. Former Obama advisor Emanuel “predicts”: By 2020, the American health insurance industry will be extinct. Insurance companies will be replaced by accountable care organizations — groups of …

Platforms, Accountable Care and Results

By Vince Kuraitis What do Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have in common? Eric Schmidt, Chairman (and former President) of Google, coined the term “Gang of Four” in referring to the similar platform/application technical architecture and business models of these companies. In the case of Apple iOS and Google Android OS, much of the value is created by …

New Deadlines Announced for Advance Payment Model

Issued by CMS, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI): Last month, CMS announced a new Advance Payment Model for physician-based and rural Accountable Care Organizations selected to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The selected ACOs will receive advance payments that will be recouped from the shared savings they earn. Organizations interested in …

Wal*Mart: RFI ‘Overwritten and Incorrect’

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Whoa! Not 24 hours after the Request for Information (RFI) issued by WalMart Health and Wellness directed to it’s ‘strategic partner’ downline hit the street, I mean was leaked to the press, WalMart’s senior management felt compelled to promptly backdown from it’s rational, comprehensive, timely and sensible approach to make …

#occupyhealthcare: Hype or Hope?

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Sunday, November 6th 2011 may mark a tipping point in the weak-tied and ‘talk is cheap‘ happy talk often characteristic of episodic and even planned healthcare social media conversations. While a dedicated and passionate community mostly focused on learning, defining, sharing best practices and what constitutes the ‘meaningful use’ of …

Massmed Releases 10th Annual Physician Workforce Study

Physician Shortages Found in 8 Specialties, Continued Primary Care Shortages, and Physician Concerns About Global Payments and Accountable Care Organizations: Waltham, Mass. — September 28, 2011 — The Massachusetts Medical Society today released its 2011 Physician Workforce Study showing critical and severe physician shortages in eight specialties, a sixth consecutive year of shortages of primary …

Bundled Payment? Not So Fast!

From Boston.com’s ‘White Coat Notes’: By Liz Kowalczyk A new survey from the Massachusetts Medical Society reveals interesting divisions among doctors over plans to hold down health care spending — and perhaps some words of warning for lawmakers. More than half — 58 percent — of the 1,100 doctors who responded to the society’s survey …