It is estimated that 80% of Americans will have some form of back pain in their lifetime, but not all of them will receive high quality health care to address it. As early as 1985, studies showed the benefits of motion in the healing process and speculation that “help will come in the next decade […]
The 17th Annual Summit by the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID) will be held on March 23rd. A broad range of healthcare stakeholders from across the nation will address the topic, “Enhancing Health Equity,” including: reducing health care disparities; expanding the role of value-based insurance design by public and private payers; […]
The Washington Health Alliance is on schedule to release the 16th Community Checkup report later this month with results for more than 2,300 unique entities, including clinics, medical groups, hospitals, and health plans with medical claims from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Included in this release are results for more than 100 measures, […]
A recent article estimates that as many as 400,000 incidents of preventable harm occur in the United States each year, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths and a cost estimated at $60 billion. Patient Safety Awareness Week, from March 13th to 19th, provides an opportunity to encourage the issue of patient safety to be discussed openly […]
Precision medicine, that is customizing a treatment for a particular patient, is where medical treatment is headed. As the market shifts, more biosimilars will be available, those are medicines that are highly similar to a previously approved biologic, a drug made from proteins or pieces of proteins that are made in a living system, such […]
The Washington State Chiropractic Association (WSCA) is Washington’s only professional organization representing Doctors of Chiropractic. Established in 1991, WSCA has been growing strong ever since with doctors from across the entire state joining forces to protect, promote and improve the chiropractic profession for a strong and healthy future for all. They are boldly committed to […]
Unprecedented detailed results for counties and regions across Washington state SEATTLE, WA — Where are our health care dollars going? That answer is provided in the Washington Health Alliance’s new Total Cost of Care report looking at how much is being spent on health care in Washington state as well as on the different types […]
Dear Members and Allies, There comes a time in every leader’s career when it is important to take stock, celebrate the successes, put the failures in perspective, declare satisfaction with the professional adventure and turn the page to the next life quest. That time for me is approaching. Effective July 8, 2022, I will resign […]
Almost all people will experience low-back pain sometime during their lives. Unfortunately, many of them will not receive high quality health care to treat it. In fact, you can compare the rate for providers avoiding the use of X-ray, MRI and CT scans for low-back pain using the latest data from the Alliance’s Community Checkup […]
In this time of innovation in health care, many organizations are developing, testing and evaluating models intended to foster the delivery of high-value care – that is, better quality care at lower cost. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the nation’s largest purchaser/payer, is no exception. A recent article commented on the results […]
Washington Health Alliance Executive Director Nancy Giunto led a panel discussion on the role of employers in health care reform at the recent virtual State of Reform conference. The discussion included the challenges facing small businesses, the need for access to health care data to support making purchasing decisions, and the challenges facing employers and […]
The Chicago Business Journal article, “Who’s Watching the Money?”, extends the fiduciary obligations businesses have under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to its health care benefits plans and the requirement to manage them “with the care, skill, and diligence of a prudent person.” That responsibility includes reducing waste, and cites its prevalence using […]