Managed Care Cast

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week.

This week, the top managed care news included HHS distributing COVID-19 funds to Medicaid and CHIP providers; the National Kidney Foundation issues a statement on health disparities and racial violence; a preview of our coverage of the American Diabetes Association 2020 Virtual Scientific Sessions.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

HHS to Send COVID-19 Funds to Medicaid, CHIP, Safety Net Hospitals: https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/hhs-to-send-covid19-funds-to-medicaid-chip-safety-net-hospitals

National Kidney Foundation Issues Statement on Health Disparities, Racial Violence: https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/national-kidney-foundation-issues-statement-on-health-disparities-racial-violence

American Diabetes Association 2020 Virtual Scientific Sessions: https://www.ajmc.com/conferences/ada-2020

Diabetes Educators Release Updated Report on DSMES Accessibility, Usage: https://www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/diabetes-educators-release-updated-report-on-dsmes-accessibility-usage

Paper of the Week—Provider Behavior and Treatment Intensification in Diabetes Care: https://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2015/2015-vol21-n6/provider-behavior-and-treatment-intensification-in-diabetes-care

Chronic musculoskeletal pain costs the United States hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Now, with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare providers are tasked with providing optimal care to patients while minimizing human contact as much as possible.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Jeffrey Krauss, MD, chief medical officer of Hinge Health and Stanford Clinical assistant professor. In a study Dr. Krauss co-wrote entitled “Digital care for chronic musculoskeletal pain: 10,000 participant longitudinal cohort study,” researchers evaluated the efficacy of a 12-week digital care program aimed to reduce lower back and knee pain in a real-world population.

According to authors, the results support the prospect for digital care programs to serve the overwhelming number of musculoskeletal pain sufferers worldwide.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week.

This week, top managed care stories included an additional setback for Medicaid work rules; another study finding more benefits from SGLT2 inhibitors; researchers finding unwanted end-of-life care causes stress.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

OCM, Other APM Timelines Extended Due to COVID-19: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/ocm-other-apm-timelines-extended-due-to-covid-19

Racial Disparities Shift in Observation Status in Hospital Admissions for Avoidable Conditions: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/racial-disparities-shift-in-observation-status-in-hospital-admissions-for-avoidable-conditions

Study Finds Nonprofit Hospitals Did Not Direct Medicaid Expansion Savings Into Communities: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/study-finds-nonprofit-hospitals-did-not-direct-medicaid-expansion-savings-into-communities-

ASCO 2020 Annual Meeting: www.ajmc.com/conferences/asco-2020

Improving Quality of Care in Oncology Through Healthcare Payment Reform: www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2018/2018-vol24-n3/improving-quality-of-care-in-oncology-through-healthcare-payment-reform

In this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the lead author of a study in the May issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about the shift in new accountable care organizations (ACOs) from being led by hospital systems to being led by physician groups, and the accompanying policy shifts that are needed. David Muhlestein, the chief strategy and chief research officer at Leavitt Partners, also discussed his thoughts on the affect of coronavirus disease 2019 on ACOs. The study is titled "Accountable Care Organizations Are Increasingly Led by Physician Groups Rather Than Hospital Systems."

Amid COVID-19, patients with Parkinson disease have had to adjust to the physical and mental challenges precipitated by the pandemic. Notably, those with Parkinson disease, who are already linked with heightened feelings of stress and anxiety, may be further at risk.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Rachel Dolhun, MD, vice president of Medical Communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research, about recent innovations by The Michael J. Fox Foundation to assist patients and families of patients with Parkinson disease in adjusting to this new normal.

In a prior study, nearly 7 in 10 employees indicated in a survey that the COVID-19 pandemic is the most stressful time of their entire professional career. Researchers from Lyra Health, an employee behavioral health provider, recently conducted a study examining the efficacy, in real-world circumstances, of a structured, cognitive behavioral coaching program delivered through video or telephone.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Connie Chen, MD, chief medical officer at Lyra Health, about the study “Effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavioral Coaching Program Delivered Via Video in Real World Settings.”

Against a backdrop of the health care and cost concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the April issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® features an interview with Dr. Sherry Glied,  health economist and dean of New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, about the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, as well as the vital role that public service leadership plays in navigating a crisis of this scale.

The 2020 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), will take place virtually on April 23 and April 24. The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is bringing you a series of previews so you can learn more about what to expect when you attend this virtual meeting. In this interview we speak with Debra Patt, MD, MPH, MBA, executive vice president of policy and strategy at Texas Oncology who is presenting on applied informatics in oncology at the virtual meeting.

The 2020 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), takes place virtually on April 23 and April 24. The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is bringing you a series of previews so you can learn more about what you'll hear when you attend this virtual meeting. In this interview we're speaking with Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, the chief medical director of West Cancer Center and the chief medical officer of OneOncology, and who is moderating a stakeholder panel discussion on genomic profiling in cancer.

Complex care management programs aim to improve health outcomes of high-cost, high-need patients through coordinating medical and social services. In general, Medicaid patients have high rates of chronic conditions and often utilize preventable acute care, leading to avoidable spending. To determine the impact complex care management programs can have on Medicaid beneficiaries, researchers conducted a study at CareMore Health in Memphis, Tennessee.

On this episode of Managed Care cast, we speak with Farhad Modarai, DO, on a recent paper he co-wrote, entitled, "Impact of Complex Care Management on Spending and Utilization for High-Need, High Cost Medicaid Patients." The study can be found in the February issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®.