Healthcare Think Tank’s Post

Reading the NEJM article at the airport and thought it worth sharing as we all vote: Blumenthal D, Gumas ED, Shah A, Gunja MZ, Williams RD II. Mirror, mirror 2024: a portrait of the failing U.S. health system: comparing performance in 10 nations. New York: Commonwealth Fund, September 19, 2024 (https://lnkd.in/gvTQf35c). In raises key questions for who leads health policy in the new administration and calls for continued support of the ACA and enhanced health care strategies to assure affordable access. “…These findings raise basic questions for candidates for positions at all levels of elected office in the United States: What is the future of a country that allows an untold number of its people to suffer and die unnecessarily because of a lack of access to basic health services, inadequate public health measures, and a tattered social safety net? Can it survive and thrive? Wittingly or unwittingly, Americans will be addressing these questions when they cast their votes on November 5.”

IMPACT Multiple Investigator Vincent Mor, PhD will join the Congressional Budget Office Panel of Health Advisers, 2024. As one of the panelists, Mor will share his expertise and perspectives to inform analyses and development of cost estimates. Learn more https://bit.ly/3WyckuT

The health of our kids must remain a top priority for State leaders. Tomorrow (April 16), come hear Mike Odeh, Children Now's Senior Director of Health Policy, talk about how to continue improving the health of California's kids, as part of a panel with the California Department of Health Care Services, First 5 Sacramento, and Health Net. Register for the State of Reform Health Policy Conference in Sacramento below, and we'll see you there! https://bit.ly/3VRbs4r

Excellent article!! It appears the major health systems have rebounded from COVID !!! What is interesting is that the For Profits have outpaced the Not for Profits which is understandable based on their mission. What screams out is how is how are all the major independent community healthsytems doing. I would venture to say their average operating margin was negative!

Rising health care costs pose a serious threat to individuals, businesses, and government. In a Perspective in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, "Addressing Health Care Cost Growth – Why and How States Should Lead”, health policy experts from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the Milbank Memorial Fund lay out the rationale for state action and describe the principles and policies that states should adopt: establishing a strong state agency to oversee and manage reform, hospital global budgets, all-payer Accountable Care Organizations, and provider and health plan rate setting. An accompanying Policy Brief, “Not Just Squeezing the Balloon: A Comprehensive Set of State Strategies for Addressing Health Care Cost” was published on-line by the Milbank Memorial Fund that provides additional details on the approaches and the evidence of their potential impact. The authors are Dartmouth professors Elliott Fisher and Carrie Colla, Alena Berube, a Geisel PhD student and Director of Policy and Finance at Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board, and Chris Koller, President of the Milbank Memorial Fund. https://lnkd.in/eMFY7ENT

Investing more in the long-term health of our population is known to have a positive impact on individuals, society and our economy. For the final instalment of our #ValueinHealth series, we explore prevention interventions and the expected returns on investment (ROI) that health and local government leaders can leverage from taking a more cohesive, evidence-based approach. Alongside NHS Confederation, we undertook extensive research to understand the return on investment for different health intervention categories across primary prevention, secondary prevention and social detriments impacting health which revealed: 🔹 The top 20 interventions highlighted in terms of ROI were all primary care or community care-based 🔹 These different interventions provided significant ROI, ranging from £6.90 to £34.75 🔹 Investing more in prevention and taking a strategic approach to public health interventions could achieve an £11bn annually in ROI These important insights reinforce previous research on prevention and the value of investing in primary and community care, and also highlight the significance of considering ROI in everyday decision-making. Our full report reveals all of the key findings, along with a six-step framework, providing a pathway for the NHS and local authorities to unlock value from prevention. Read more here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eZdvKfMD

Ahead of the #GeneralElection being called, we put together a summary of five key areas of priority that the next UK government should focus on in order to build a healthier UK. Previous reforms to the NHS have focused too much on top-down structural changes and not enough on changing how care is delivered and experienced. While progress is being made in integrating care, radical innovation and improvement are needed to deliver on longstanding policy objectives to provide more coordinated care for people with multiple conditions, focus on prevention and deliver more care in people’s homes and communities. The priority of transforming care through innovation, technology and reform focuses partly on harnessing the potential created by advances in AI, data and technology to improve productivity. It also includes improving the quality and experience of care, supporting the shift to a more preventive and personalised health and care system. Learn more about this and the other priorities that make up our top five, including our rundown of the key actions the next government should consider in its policymaking 👇 https://lnkd.in/erYW5zFx [Alt text: Transforming care through innovation, technology and reform]

Missed out on the Civitas Networks for Health conference this year? We've got your back! We covered eight of the biggest sessions from Civitas 2024, talking about the most compelling successes and innovations for HIEs and local government healthcare providers. Explore how Michigan and New York are leading the charge in healthcare innovation and equity: Michigan's bold response to COVID-19 has flattened racial disparities in infection and mortality rates through community health hubs and strategic partnerships. https://lnkd.in/eEabe-Xx Meanwhile, New York State Office of Mental Health, in collaboration with BronxRHIO and Healthix, is revolutionizing mental healthcare by leveraging real-time data to enhance services for over 900,000 individuals annually. https://lnkd.in/ejWFfqm7

Point32Health, the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, announced an agreement to acquire Health New England. Key Points: - Acquisition expands Point32Health's reach: Serves 1.9 million members across 5 states, gaining 180,000 members in Western Massachusetts through Health New England. - Enhanced offerings: Combining strengths to provide a wider range of plans and access to a broader network. - Commitment to underserved communities: Both organizations prioritize serving the underserved and seniors. - Improved quality of care: Focus on addressing behavioral health, health equity, and social determinants of health. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q02mjqNF0

Join me for an engaging conversation with these wonderful experts from public health, local organizations, and healthcare. Together, we'll explore the critical intersection of housing instability and health outcomes, and discuss actionable steps for making a positive impact in our community. Details: https://lnkd.in/gs8Azrvy