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Weekly Rounds: Value-Based Care, Virtual Services, Well-Conceived EHRs, Concierge Care, ACO Changes

Published Date
Author Leona Rajaee

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This week, we have insights on an EHR’s role in value-based care, payment for physicians who are involved in telemedicine, the benefits of EHRs, the differences between Direct Primary Care and Concierge Care, and newly published ACO changes.  

At Elation Health, we’re committed to strengthening the physician-patient relationship and providing intuitive tools for clinical first care. Part of this commitment includes keeping physicians and staff informed about the latest healthcare news, technology trends, and policy updates that impact their practices and patients.

We’re maintaining a set of healthcare-focused blogs where you can subscribe to get more information and news straight to your inbox. And each week, our Weekly Rounds will give you the highlights of the top content we’ve posted; here’s what you may have missed this week:

  1. How to tackle physician barriers to value-based care in 2019:  More and more physicians are now engaged in reporting for value-based care programs. Here are a few tips on tackling value-based care in the new year. Using certified, easy to use EHRs is one way physicians can focus less on reporting and more on patient care. Read on to learn more tips.
  2. Medicare physician fee schedule updated to include virtual services:  Physicians are now able to bill Medicare for services offered outside of the office, i.e. telemedical appointments. In addition, physicians can now be reimbursed for time spent clarifying patients questions and addressing concerns over the phone or via a messaging system. Read more to learn what other steps CMS recently took to finalize payment for “Rural Health Clinics.”
  3.  How well-conceived EHRs could make things easier for independent physicians:  Switching from handwritten paper charts to EHRs not only eliminates room for error but also saves the physicians precious time. In addition, EHRs enable physicians to quickly review patient data before and after visits. According to a Stanford Medicine study, however, three-fourths of physicians wished they were using a better system and could reduce their screen time. Learn more about independent physicians and well-conceived EHRs.
  4. What kind of patients could benefit the most from DPC and concierge care? Many DPC practices offer basic memberships for $50-$100 a month and emphasize getting to know patients by meeting outside of normal hours and making house calls. DPC is often a good option for patients with chronic conditions. Concierge medicine, on the other hand, provides access to greater amenities but at a higher cost. Read on to find out about more these differences.
  5. Breaking down the major ACO changes from the MSSP final rule: CMS recently published a new rule involving ACO changes. This new rule does away with previous tracks and creates two new tracks instead: BASIC and ENHANCED. The goal of this new structure is to encourage greater participation among low revenue ACOs. Read on to learn more about these changes.