The Friday Five – Our Radio Hosts’ Predictions for 2017
This Friday marks our final Friday Five of 2016! To celebrate we asked our favorite radio hosts to help us see into the future of the healthcare industry. Below you will find a bit about each of their shows as well as their astute predictions for 2017.
Justin Barnes, Partner
iHealth Innovations
Twitter: @HITAdvisor
Twitter: @RevenueSherpa
Host: This Just In Radio Show
This Just In
On this 30-minute, informative program, Justin Barnes and his guests shed light on the latest trends, strategy and innovations impacting healthcare, technology and even entrepreneurialism in America.. Whether it’s healthcare, health IT, strategy, or the “next big thing,” if a topic is trending, Justin is sure to be talking about it with his broad circle of peers.
Justin’s 2017 Prediction
For 2017, I predict that there will be great success by eligible clinicians in managing MACRA, MIPS and the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Having witnessed almost 2 years of saber rattling about how devastating this legislation and regulation would be for care providers; a majority of eligible clinicians are poised to not only stave off the 4% Medicare cut during the 2017 reporting period but rather are poised to achieve 1%-4% positive payment adjustments. I’ve been working with practices for months now getting them ready for MIPS and the QPP and I’m, excitedly, being pushed by them to set-up a great foundation for their success with this program as well as other quality and outcomes-based incentive initiatives. Care providers are rightfully skeptical and a little nervous about this change and evolution in our nation’s payment and care delivery model, but many are successfully engaging. Care providers will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it will be to avoid any negative payment adjustments in 2017 by deploying good MIPS plans and best practices and how simple as well as rewarding these programs will be to attract additional incentives and bonuses. I personally believe that all care providers that intentionally and deliberately engage with new payment & care delivery models, and create the right partnerships, will have more opportunity in the future than they have today. Here’s even a 4-point glide path to assist.
Tom S. Lee, PhD, CEO & Founder
SA Ignite
Twitter: @saignite
Host: ABCs of MIPS Radio Show
ABCs of MIPS
Join HITECH Answers and SA Ignite each month as we address your questions on the current and future state of merit based provider payment systems. This informative half hour Q&A program has our experts, Tom Lee and Beth Houck, covering the full spectrum of the payment program alphabet including MU, PQRS, VBM and more.
Tom’s 2017 Prediction
Two major predictions for 2017 are around APMs and the 21st Century Cures Act. First, I expect to see a slowdown in APM applications due to the uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act and the impact on the CMS Innovation Center. Organizations are reticent to fully move forward until they are sure the APMs will remain in existence after modifications to the ACA. Secondly, the 21st Century Cures Act will have a major impact on EHR R&D efforts. The Act puts considerable emphasis on interoperability so vendors will not only be focused on how to comply, but also how to benefit economically through open application marketplaces. These changes and more will make for an interesting landscape for healthcare providers in 2017.
Matt Fisher, Healthcare Lawyer
Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP
Twitter: @Matt_R_Fisher
Host: Healthcare De Jure Radio Show
Healthcare de Jure
Tune in as we serve up the hottest healthcare issues of the day, all from a legal point of view. From public policies and Federal initiatives to privacy and security, join host Matt Fisher as he and his guests discuss a smorgasbord of topics, giving hospitals, physicians, vendors and patients a seat at the table. Matt’s virtual conversations can be attended live, listened to on demand, heard on air, or viewed on our YouTube Channel. So don’t miss a minute of what’s on the menu.
Matt’s 2017 Prediction
There will be talk about a lot of buzzwords and the promise of certain technologies, but the real progress will be made behind the scenes and under the radar. There are many intelligent, proactive, innovative people who are trying to address concerns such as usability, workflow and interoperability, which means there will be a good solution in place sooner rather than later (hopefully).
Fred Goldstein, President
Accountable Health, LLC
Twitter: @fsgoldstein
Host: PopHealth Week Radio Show
Gregg Masters, Founder & CEO
Health Innovation Media
Twitter: @2healthguru
Host: PopHealth Week Radio Show
PopHealth Week
We’re pleased to be celebrating another year of syndication and great programs with PopHealth Week. This syndicated show tracks, reports, informs and engages thought leaders, entrepreneurs and disruptive companies or health systems in the emerging field of Population Health Management. PopHealth Week formerly ‘This Week in Accountable Care’ fosters an ongoing conversation on the convergence of vendor supplied and provider hatched population health strategies. The show attempts to harmonize an industry Zeitgeist that optimizes the role of vendors, providers, and the community at large to deliver on the promise of the triple aim for a sustainable health[care] ecosystem. Join thought leaders Fred Goldstein and Gregg Masters, MPH for an informative and even entertaining exchange.
Fred’s 2017 Prediction
Population Health 2017: what is it? The buzzword, one leg of the Triple Aim, the solution? Really? Sure, in 2017 we’ll see continued interest and growth in Population Health based programs by provider groups and communities. But, and I say “but” rather forcefully, many of these will be of limited impact as providers struggle to provide the necessary resources while hanging on to Fee-For-Service reimbursement. In 2017, providers will begin to understand that Population Health is about more than data; that the rubber meets the road where the patient becomes engaged and changes behavior, most often outside the four walls of the practice.
“Hey do I have any ability to influence that and how do I financially cover that service?”
Only through some form of alternative payment model such as bundles or capitation will the dollars be generated to provide adequate funding for population health program resources. Most providers in 2017 will be attempting to push a five-pound brick with four pounds of force and see limited to no results from their efforts.
Communities too, will jump into population health based approaches, but must begin to look outside the normal approaches, as those who are working in the community now have created the system we have. The most exciting, innovative and ultimately successful models will be those addressing the Social Determinants of Health and infuse accountability throughout the broader (beyond healthcare) community system.
Gregg’s 2017 Prediction
2017 is likely to be a year where commercial ACOs morph from principally tepid toe-in-the-water ‘HMO-lite’ versions of delivery system reform to more aggressive assumption of risk. Participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program will continue learning under upside only arrangements and thus miss opportunities to leverage of the power of risk to drive meaningful provider reform. So modified business as usual will likely continue to reign in the new year.
Jim Tate, President & Founder
EMR Advocate
Twitter: @jimtate
Host: The Tate and Hartley Show Radio Show
The Tate & Hartley Show
The Tate & Hartley Show is a 30-minute talk show featuring America’s favorite EHR experts, Jim Tate and Carolyn Hartley. Join them each week as they engage in thoughtful, in-depth discussions involving timely issues with electronic health records. Jim and Carolyn keep the conversation current and offer strategies and tactics on how to navigate through this change. The Tate & Hartley Show is a weekly adventure bringing health care records into the 21st Century.
Jim’s 2017 Prediction
Now that Meaningful Use is in the rear view window all attention will become focused on the policies of the incoming administration. That is the wild card that clouds the crystal ball. The future direction of “pay for value,” Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA will become clear in 2017. Keep a close eye on who will lead the Department of Health and Human Services for clues as to where we are going. As of now it looks to be Dr. Tom Price. I am expecting monumental shifts away from what we have seen in the past 8 years.
ICYMI – Our other Friday Fives.
