Frequent utilization of the emergency department for non-emergent care remains a chronic challenge for health plans looking to improve costs and quality. Studies show that as much as 5% of the overall patient population seen in the ED accounts for as much as 18% of all annual emergency department visits. In addition, nearly 20% of ED complaints stem from mood disorders, and another 10% relate to alcohol use.

MedeAnalytics was recently highlighted in Gartner’s Market Guide for Healthcare Provider Value-Based Performance Management Analytics (VBPMA). As noted in the guide, value-based performance management analytics solutions are the next-generation financial planning and modeling tools that health systems need to manage performance across volume, value, and risk-based contracts.

This week, MedeAnalytics celebrates our 25th anniversary! Mede has evolved significantly since its revenue cycle beginnings, and through it all, our dedication to helping improve the business of healthcare through smarter decision making has never wavered.

As the 2019 HEDIS season approaches, it’s important to identify the tools that will inject speed and data quality in your chart chase process. With a simplified and streamlined chart chase process, you can save time and eliminate costly inefficiencies—to quickly put high HEDIS scores within reach.

Managing the cost and care associated with chronic conditions remains a top priority for both payers and providers. While conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma account for a significant portion of U.S. healthcare spending, they are often preventable or manageable through lifestyle choices, early detection, and proactive care. As a result, the shift to value-based care has prompted healthcare organizations to look beyond chronic condition management and get the bigger picture on factors affecting their patient populations like identifying opportunities for preventative care.

Value-based care has been top of mind for health systems across the country, but a recent study shows misalignment between payer and provider groups is impacting the industry’s goal of shifting from volume to value. In fact, 62 percent of health plan executives feel that payers have made progress in aligning with providers, while only 41 percent of physicians agree with this notion.

Every year from January to May, payers and providers gather and analyze data to report on the quality of their care. The challenges associated with HEDIS® can be significant. Efficiency issues such as manual claims analysis, individual chart chases, and a lack of centralized data sources can consume valuable time and resources.

It’s no secret that U.S. healthcare spending continues to rise. In fact, CMS projects healthcare spending to rise 5.5 percent annually from 2017 to 2026 and comprise nearly 20 percent the nation’s economy in 2026.

With the first half of the year behind us, we thought we’d share some of the current healthcare trends that are gaining traction in this week’s blog post.  We’ve outlined the top four to keep watch for over the remainder of 2018.

With the continued frustration over rising healthcare costs, the White House has made prescription drug reform a top priority. Thomas Beaton of HealthPayerIntelligence recently published an article which shares that payers are eager to see this effort succeed as they also search for ways to best address the high prices of certain medications. In 2016,