When it comes to patient information, how does healthcare protect individual safety and security? I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and we’ll probe that question and examine the week that was in this week’s Top Stories.
A coalition of more than 40 healthcare organizations called Patient ID Now released a framework this week aimed at creating a national strategy around patient identification that protects individual safety and security. In HealthcareITNews, (https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/patient-id-now-coalition-releases-national-strategic-framework-identity-matching) we see that the coalition calls on the federal government to closely collaborate with the private sector and with other public health authorities in working toward the goal of accurate patient identification. The issue is that no consistent and accurate way exists to link patients to their health information – leading to safety risks, security consequences and financial burdens. The coalition includes HealthcareITNews parent company HIMSS, as well as the American College of Surgeons, the American Health Information Management Association and Premier Healthcare Alliance.
Healthcare was a topic of discussion Wednesday night during President Joe Biden’s first joint address to Congress, with Healthcare Finance News reporting (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/his-first-joint-address-biden-promotes-giving-medicare-power-negotiate-lower-drug-prices) that the president wants to continue to lower Affordable Care Act premiums that are available under the America Rescue Plan. Biden also wants to lower ACA deductibles and prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices. In Biden’s first 100 days in office, an additional 800,000 Americans have enrolled in the ACA through a special enrollment period opened by his administration. Biden touted his administration’s vaccine rollout, which has led to 220 million shots being provided to date.
Finally this week, public health navigation company Accolade is eyeing the telemedicine space with the acquisition of PlushCare, a primary care-focused virtual care company. According to MobiHealthNews, (https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/accolade-acquires-virtual-primary-care-platform-plushcare) Accolade will incorporate PlushCare's platform, which is able to connect consumers in all 50 U.S. states to an online video visit with a doctor. And it isn’t the first time that Accolade and PlushCare have teamed up. In March of 2020, the two teamed up to offer virtual primary care that specifically focused on COVID-19 questions, care support, assessment and connection to local testing.
I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and this has been Top Stories.