More than 20 years ago, I helped Uvalde (Texas) Community Hospital establish and operate an outpatient mental health clinic. In the wake of the tragic school shooting there on May 24, the town’s residents desperately need help dealing with the after-effects of the trauma. People exposed to trauma are at high risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and […]
“Tom Lawry reminds us that the health care industry can shift from glacial to warp speed when it needs to. Given the right tools, we can evolve from health systems to systems of health, baked with Responsible Intelligence to do good while embedded with respect, inclusion, and transparency. Health citizens deserve Tom’s vision to emerge,” I wrote in a quote […]
More than 25 years after the first federal mental health parity protections were put in place, adequate coverage for behavioral health (BH) care – including both mental health and substance use conditions –remains elusive for many consumers with health insurance. Federal BH parity rules require health plans that offer BH coverage to ensure that financial requirements (such as deductibles, copayments, […]
Yuki Noguchi, NPR News “Every day was tough. Every day, I’m thinking about what I owe, how am I going to get out of this? Tough.” Terri Logan Terri Logan, 42, Spartanburg, South Carolina Approximate Medical Debt: $1,400, now $0 Medical Issue: Premature childbirth What Happened: Two months ahead of her due date with her second daughter, Terri Logan felt […]
What are the consequences for these health systems if they do not have a completed succession plan? Alex Kacik: So, like I mentioned earlier, only 44% of 260 hospitals surveyed in the 2021 Governance Institute Report maintain a written updated CEO and senior executive succession plan. A bad executive hierarchy and cost a health system between five and 15 times […]
Price transparency has evolved considerably since the Affordable Care Act went into effect more than 10 years ago. Following an extensive review and comment period by the industry, new rulings like the 21st Century Cures Act have expanded the exchange of electronic health information. At the same time, innovation and investment in new technology to support price transparency has skyrocketed, alongside continued efforts […]
Mental health services are not offered in close to half of Texas’s school districts, according to a CBS News report. The network analyzed data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and found that of the state’s 1,247 public school districts, 593 of them did not have a school psychologist on staff or provide a telehealth option. The analysis also found […]
There’s going to be an American version of “The Great British Baking Show”….titled, you guessed it, “The Great American Baking Show.” Today in health care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is announcing a shake-up after missteps in its COVID-19 response. Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. […]
The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will allow over the counter hearing aids for consumers 18 years and older as soon as October. The decision is being applauded by audiology experts. The new ruling, intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, will allow consumers to purchase hearing aids without needing to see a physician or […]
Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice President and CEO Ken Albert was busy at the National Association for Home Care & Hospice’s (NAHC) annual Financial Management Conference last month. In addition to leading his own organization, he was on the heels of a Washington, D.C., trip to vie for the entire home health industry in the wake of the Centers for […]