Week 27 Newsletter

(10/07/20) Getting Health Care Was Already Tough in Rural Areas. The Pandemic Has Made it Worse
A new poll finds that one in four rural households has been unable to receive treatment for medical conditions since the beginning of the pandemic. The most common reasons reported by households include inability to make appointments due to clinics closing to in-person care, lack of providers accepting new patients, inability to afford treatment, and lack of transportation to receive treatment.

(10/09/20) Distributing Provider Financial Aid to Create a More Efficient, Equitable System
This blog post from Health Affairs advocates for reforming the methodology for distributing emergency relief funds, targeting issues relating to the emergency COVID-19 funding. The authors argue wealthier hospitals that are better able to withstand revenue disruptions received too much funding compared to less wealthy health care providers.

(10/08/20) How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Provision of Elective Services: The Challenges Ahead
With the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services releasing guidelines in March recommending the postponement or cancellation of elective procedures, many states and organizations across the country put an end to these services. This blog post featured in Health Affairs discusses some of the impacts of this disruption, from revenue problems to adverse impacts on patients.

(10/08/20) Limitations of the Program for Uninsured COVID-19 Patients Raise Concerns
This article covered by the Kaiser Family Foundation covers the policy implications of the federal provider relief program intended to cover uninsured individuals who are hospitalized or seek treatment for COVID-19. A significant limitation of the program is that providers are not guaranteed reimbursement, as it is contingent on available funding, leading many providers to either not participate entirely or withdraw after previously participating.

(10/08/20) Establishing a Value-Based ‘New Normal’ for Telehealth
This blog post is part of the “Higher Health Care Value Post COVID-19” series from Health Affairs and highlights some of the policies and actions that have enabled widespread implementation and adoption of telehealth technology, as well as charting a path forward for Telehealth post-pandemic.

(10/07/20) Patient Satisfaction With Telehealth High Following COVID-19
An article covering the results of the J.D. Power 2020 US Telehealth Satisfaction Study, which has found that while telehealth is yielding high patient satisfaction ratings, there are still significant barriers to access for nearly half of patients.

(10/06/20) Telehealth’s Digital Divide Is Real, and Members of Congress Want to Address It
This article covers the legislative attempts being made in the House of Representatives to expand access to telehealth services following significant barriers seen throughout the pandemic. The focus of the legislation is to demand studies of the effectiveness of telehealth, expand broadband access, and ensure reimbursement to maintain the technology.

(10/06/20) Pandemic Flexibilities in Long-term Care
This webinar from the Alliance for Health Policy discusses issues both new and old in long-term care. Expert speakers present on the recent changes and gaps that remain as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

(10/07/20) How Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model Has Helped Hospitals Manage the COVID-19 Stress Test
This blog post from Health Affairs covers how Maryland’s unique Total Cost of Care alternative payment method has handled stress from the COVID-19 pandemic. This unique system and partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is in part credited for Maryland’s success in avoiding reaching maximum intensive care unit capacity and major financial pressure from the pandemic.

(10/07/20) Due to Increased Hospitalizations in the Fox Valley, Gov. Evers Announces Wisconsin State Fair Park Alternate Care Facility to Accept COVID-19 Patients October 14
A press release outlining plans from the Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, to open a field hospital following statewide hospitalizations tripling over the course of the month. The field hospital is meant to treat those who are seeking treatment for COVID-19 but not seriously ill patients, who may need an intensive care unit.