News Opinion

Learning To Respect A Patient’s Wishes At The End Of Life, Article by Kristin Gourlay, Rhode Island Public Radio

Discussions about death and dying are difficult for everyone, including doctors. Dr. Kate Lally, head of palliative care for Care New England hospitals, is training resident doctors on how to put the patient first through open discussions about end-of-life wishes. Dr. Lally leads the nation in this important field, and Care New England is one of 10 health care systems across the country trying to become what is called “conversation ready.” Click […]

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Addressing Behavioral Health Integration With Payment Reform, Article by Deborah Cohen, Health Affairs Blog 

Body: Several primary care practices across the nation are beginning to integrate physical and behavioral healthcare under value-based payment models. Similar cutting-edge work with a focus on whole-person health is already underway through The Margolin Group’s Win4RI ​HealthPath Initiative. Click Here to Read the ​Full ​Health Affairs Article Click Here to Learn More about the Win4RI HealthPath Program

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More Health Systems Launch Insurance Plans Despite Caveats, Article by Bob Herman, Modern Healthcare 

I​n order to control a larger portion of the premium dollar, provider-owned health plans have grown in size and prevalence in recent years. Organizations, like Premier Health are moving to take on financial risk for their patients, which mean greater rewards under value-based and capitated payment contracts.  Click Here to Read the Full ​Modern Healthcare ​Article (login required) Click Here to Read Continued New York Times Analysis of this Growing Trend

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More Health Systems Launch Insurance Plans Despite Caveats, Article by Bob Herman, Modern Healthcare 

I​n order to control a larger portion of the premium dollar, provider-owned health plans have grown in size and prevalence in recent years. Organizations, like Premier Health are moving to take on financial risk for their patients, which mean greater rewards under value-based and capitated payment contracts. Click Here to Read the Full Modern Healthcare Article (login required) Click Here to Read Continued New York Times Analysis of this Growing Trend

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Kaiser to Look for Autism’s Causes in Large-Scale Study, Article by Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle

According to a recent article published by the San Francisco Chronicle, Kaiser Permanente will begin a groundbreaking genetic research project to reveal the root causes of autism. This broad-scale research project will use the organization’s electronic medical record to gather biological and other health information from 5,000 Northern California families who have a child with the developmental disorder. ​The article notes that ​Kaiser’s research may, one day, lead to improved diagnoses and new treatments for the […]

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Putting the Patient at the Center of More Coordinated Behavioral Health Care, Letter by Dennis Keefe, President and CEO of Care New England Health System

Dennis Keefe, in a letter to Care New England employees, described the remarkable first-year results of Win4RI’s HealthPath pilot program — a groundbreaking collaboration involving Care New England, Butler Hospital, The Providence Center’s Continuum Behavioral Health and the largest health plan in the state. In one short year, patients with serious mental health issues have reported better access to care and improved coordination of services and supports. Click Here to […]

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Could Five Hidden Words Spell the End of the ACA?, Editorial by Arnold Buchman, Senior Advisor to The Margolin Group

King v. Burwell, the recently argued Supreme Court appeal, puts at issue five words hidden away in a subsection of the 2,000 page Affordable Care Act: “Exchange established by the State”. The Act’s opponents contend that these words deny the Act’s insurance subsidies to the 7 million people purchasing health insurance through federally-facilitated exchanges established pursuant to the Act in the 34 states that for various reasons did not set […]

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High Court ACA Case Will Drive 2015 Healthcare Debate, Paul Demko, ModernHealthcare

The specter of the U.S. Supreme Court striking down premium subsidies for millions of Americans will loom over the healthcare policy debate in Washington during the first half of 2015, and its fallout could dominate the second half of the year.  Republicans would face pressure to come together around a replacement plan if the subsidies are struck down and millions are left without affordable coverage, and President Barack Obama would […]

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Happy Days are Here Again for Healthcare Hiring – Mostly, Melanie Evans, ModernHealthcare

Healthcare job growth rebounded in 2014, especially in the year’s final quarter. December marked another robust month of hiring, contributing to nearly average employment gains for the year after five years of below-average growth. The healthcare industry added 34,100 jobs in December and 311,000 jobs for the year, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Healthcare added 36,000 jobs per month on average […]

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RI Health Care Leaders Send Reform Recommendations to Raimondo and General Assembly Leaders

A broad coalition of Rhode Island health care leaders – from providers to insurers to academics – have developed recommendations on how the state can improve quality of care and lower costs. The group, which was convened by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Rhode Island Foundation President Neil Steinberg, sent a letter to Governor-elect Gina Raimondo, House Speaker Nick Mattiello and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed laying out specific recommendations, including, but not limited to, payment reform and tracking metrics. Click here […]

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