BOLO: Alternative Funding Programs coming to your health plan What is an alternative funding program? More importantly, what does it mean for patient care? Alternative funding programs are cost containment schemes that are being marketed to employers that offer health plans to employees. Employer plans cover more than half of the United States population and alternative funding programs are becoming

No Room for Regulatory Uncertainty in Cancer Care Many community cancer practices offer patients integrated care, which meets the medical, emotional, and social needs of a patient. It allows patients to access comprehensive cancer care services all under one roof – including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, nutrition guidance, financial counseling, psychological support, and medically-integrated dispensing (MID). In short, integrated care is

Identical Care | Incompatible Cost. In a recent Houston Chronical article, The sneaky reason American medical bills are rising, Dr. Audrey Nath, a neurologist, writes “People seeking the health care they need to live and thrive shouldn’t be charged differently just because of where they receive care.” Dr. Nath skillfully explains how consolidation – hospitals buying other hospitals and health

Community Oncologist Prescribes Policy Change In a recent Dallas Morning News op-ed, community oncologist, Dr. Ralph Heaven, explains the action Congress can take so that patients don’t have to travel further and pay more for care. Patients and Providers United agrees with Dr. Heaven that the Medicare Patient Access to Cancer Treatment Act is needed to “protect access to affordable

Preserving Patient Access to Cancer Care Patient advocates, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, are calling for policy changes that will lower patient out-of-pocket costs, preserve patient access to care with their trusted, community based physician and address trends in healthcare consolidation. Voices across the ideological spectrum are echoing those calls. These are worthwhile goals that support patients, providers and

Shake Things Up to Best Serve Patients with Complex Chronic Conditions Shifts in process and procedure may seem like something that could endanger a medically fragile patient. However, in a MedCity News article, health care technologist Tesh Khullar challenges the status quo to shift away from the bureaucracy and administrative processes embedded in health plans and pharmacy benefits manager (PBM)