NEHI News

Fleming writes that rising costs and increasing uncertainty over regulatory and reimbursement policies have led to a precipitous decline in early-stage venture capital funding for biomedical research. Some of society's greatest medical needs - particularly in finding treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - will be left unmet without significant policy changes to incentivize new investments. Fleming proposes five such policy actions, saying that the health of the nation depends on it.

With a groundbreaking CMS regulatory change, along with policy support from the Affordable Care Act, holds the promise of bridging the gap between mainstream health care and community health through expanding the CHW profession and its impact on clinical care. Much like other disruptive changes in health care, however, fulfilling this potential will require a new way of thinking among state policymakers and the health care system at large.

NEHI's own Judy Phalen and Rebecca Paradis delve into how CHWs can reinvent healthcare.

The increased popularity of bundling health care reimbursement around episodes of care, such as knee replacements, has raised the question of whether bundling might suppress innovation.

Tracking miles run and calories eaten was just the beginning. An inhaler made by Propeller Health, used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, records the time and location each time a patient takes a puff of medication.

The inhaler’s sensor uses Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone or a data hub that plugs into a wall. One in 12 adults has asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 report.

A summary of some key points from our day-long conversation in DC on October 20th from Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief of Health Affairs.

Bundled payment models —which involve a set price intended to cover each element of clinical care or support for a specific procedure or condition — could prove an effective way for the care providers to contain costs while improving quality. However, some healthcare industry stakeholders have raised concerns about a possible downside to bundling payments: stifling innovation.