July 1, 2021 | US life expectancy falls behind

INDUSTRY NEWS

Under a quarter of hospitals compliant with transparence regs

Only 23.7% of hospitals were fully compliant with CMS price transparency regulations in early 2021, according to a study by University of Minnesota School of Public Health faculty. System affiliated and private, not-for-profit hospitals were more likely to provide data in a consumer-friendly format than independent and public hospitals. For profit-hospitals were more likely to comply than public hospitals. Payer-specific negotiated rates were the least likely to be publicly disclosed. The rule went into effect Jan. 1. (Modern Healthcare*)

US life expectancy falls behind

The US life expectancy continues to fall behind that of other countries, according to research published in BMJ. “The US has experienced a massive decline in life expectancy in 2020 on a scale that hasn’t be seen since World War II,” says study author Dr. Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University. The life expectancy gap between the U.S. and comparable countries already increased from 1.88 years in 2010 to 3.05 years in 2018. Researchers found the gap substantially increased to 4.69 years between 2018 and 2020. COVID-19 was a significant factor. (USA Today)

INNOVATION & TRANSFORMATION

State exchanges get funds to modernize

The Biden administration is offering $20 million in grants to help states improve their Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges. The funding, offered via the American Rescue Plan Act is intended to help state-run exchanges modernize or update systems or technology to meet federal requirements. The funding will award 21 cooperative agreement grants to the currently approved state-run exchanges. “This funding available to states will help them to provide consumers with swift eligibility determinations and enrollment into comprehensive healthcare plans,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a prepared statement. (Fierce Healthcare)

Some skeptical of BCBS effort to control drug costs

Five Blue Cross Blue Shield plans launched pharmacy solutions company Evio to combat drug costs. Evio will collect real-world evidence about how drugs actually perform. Among the goals: Get drugmakers to agree to outcomes-based contracts. But there’s a catch: Plans aren’t obligated to use any solutions Evio comes up with. That distresses Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO, Purchaser Business Group on Health. "So, when it comes down to choosing between disrupting a profitable vendor relationship, or creating affordability for customers, where did they come down? Because in our experience, it is rarely with the customers." (Healthcare Dive)

CONSUMERS & PROVIDERS

San Diego sues insurers over provider directories

San Diego has sued Kaiser Permanente, HealthNet and Molina Healthcare, claiming they advertised false networks. The complaints allege that up to 35% of the providers in Kaiser Permanente and HealthNet's directories—and 80% of clinicians in Molina’s directory—were listed inaccurately. "Consumers should be able to trust their health insurers when seeking medical attention," San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliot said in a statement. "Error-filled directories create dangerous barriers to healthcare services, with patients struggling to find a directory-listed doctor who will accept their insurance." (Modern Healthcare*)

It’s the unvaccinated who are dying of COVID

Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now occur among the unvaccinated. This demonstrates not only the effectiveness of the vaccine—it also shows that the COVID rate could be practically zero if only everyone got the vaccine. An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%. (AP; GTMRx blog)

NEW & NOTED

Misinformation abounds: Misinformation is the greatest threat to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN. "It's inducing a lot of fear among people." He points out that two-thirds of the unvaccinated say that they either believe the myths about COVID-19 or think that they might be true. (CNN)

Optum Utah launches mobile clinic: Optum Care Network Utah has launched the Optum Mobile Clinic. It will deliver preventive care access and screenings to neighborhoods in Utah, with a particular focus on low-income and senior populations. The clinic is a 45-foot-long vehicle with two private exam rooms, a waiting room and an imaging lab. (Patient Engagement HIT)

Time for a ground game: The shift away from centralized mass vaccination centers illustrates how the push for vaccines is moving to a targeted “ground game,” the New York Times reports, likening the new approach to get-out-the-vote efforts. (New York Times*)

MULTI-MEDIA

ER boarding of psyche patients on the rise

What's known as emergency room boarding of psychiatric patients has risen between 200% and 400% monthly in Massachusetts during the pandemic—and the problem is widespread. The CDC says emergency room visits after suicide attempts among teen girls were up 51% earlier this year as compared with 2019. There are no current nationwide mental health boarding numbers. (NPR; Kaiser Health News)

MARKETVOICES...QUOTES WORTH READING

“We’re running a marathon, and we’re in the last couple of miles, and we’re exhausted, and they’re going to be the most difficult ones,” Ms. Persichilli said. “But they are also going to be the most satisfying ones.” —Judith M. Persichilli, NJ health commissioner, quoted in The New York Times*