Freed Associates

June Report - Hospital Strategies & Healthcare Industry Updates

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June Newsletter   
2015   
  

As spring turns to summer, we start to think about transitions. We look forward to the warmer weather and to the multitude of activities to be enjoyed outside. At Freed, transitions also mean focusing our attention on changing systems, processes, and adapting to new regulatory requirements. It may not be a trip to the beach, and it doesn’t have to be a stormy day, either.


Our goal is to make transitions as easy as possible for our clients. We set new standards of preparedness and thoroughness so that your work isn’t interrupted while you move toward more efficient, user-friendly and patient-oriented processes and systems.


To accomplish this, we make sure that you’re on the right track, you know what expectations to set, and you are asking the right questions. Our team lives by these standards, which are highlighted in this newsletter.

Enjoy Summer 2015! 

 

 

Sincerely,

 


 Dava Freed

 CEO, President and Founder of Freed Associates

 
Commercial ACOs: Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before Diving In

By: Sylvia Dochterman


The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has spawned a rise in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)-both private commercial ACOs and public sector ACOs-in recent years. This proliferation largely resulted from an ACA provision regarding traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) programs. The provision required providers to organize as ACOs if they wanted to benefit from new shared-savings programs and value-based incentives.

Many private commercial payers have since jumped onto the ACO bandwagon, and your organization may be considering doing the same. Before you follow suit, it’s advisable to understand more about commercial ACOs and acknowledge key questions and information that could impact your organization’s success with this transition. Continue Reading
ICD-9 to ICD-10: Keeping Revenue Cycles on Track During Transition
By: Matthew R. Dutton

By October 1st of 2015, organizations governed by HIPAA are required to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10, an exponentially more complex medical coding system than its predecessor. This switch can pose many challenges for provider revenue cycle and payer claims processing, as some healthcare providers and insurance carriers struggle to meet the new requirements. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent the wheels of your organization from grinding to a halt post implementation.

By closely monitoring four key metrics before, during, and after the transition, and considering important factors like resource requirements and software testing, providers and payers can mitigate the negative impacts associated with ICD-10 implementation. Continue Reading
Healthcare Price Transparency: Is Your Company Meeting Consumer Expectations?
By: Carly Dunham

In today’s era of consumerism, companies like Amazon get it. They empower shoppers to compare prices, read reviews, and they deliver purchases straight to your door. Healthcare has some catching up to do, especially when it comes to healthcare price transparency, quality transparency, and consumer engagement. 

As American consumers, we expect our shopping experience to be easy – no matter what we’re looking to buy. We favor businesses that practice transparency and provide high-quality, cost-effective products, and we take greater pride in our purchase decisions when we’ve got all the necessary information at our fingertips. Shouldn’t shopping for healthcare be like this too?  
 
Proponents argue that it should, and have touted Consumer-Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) as a viable tool to get us there. However, it’s becoming clear that these plans aren’t a solution in and of themselves. Continue Reading
2015 HTF Innovation Conference: Freed Panelist Joins Population Health Management Discussion
By: Gwen Elwood
 
At the Health Technology Forum’s (HTF) 2015 Innovation Conference in San Francisco, attendees gathered to discuss current and ongoing challenges at the Population Health Management panel sponsored by Freed Associates. 
Freed Attends First Innovation Lab Launched at the 2015 HIMSS Healthcare IT Conference
By: Alan Little

On March 2nd, nearly 300 professionals attended HIMSS’ first Innovation Lab in Los Angeles. Attendees learned how healthcare provider organizations are becoming more directly involved in solving the industry’s vexing operational issues – as opposed to being spectators in the process of transformation.
Putting Compassion into Action: Freed Associates Supports Operation Access
By: Ellen Griffith

Freed Associates is a long-time supporter of Operation Access (OA), a local non-profit organization working in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1993, OA has helped to ensure healthcare equity for the community, by partnering with medical professionals and hospitals to donate outpatient surgical and specialty care for the uninsured and underserved. 

 Freed was a key sponsor this year at Operation Access’s Annual “Bridging the Healthcare Gap” Breakfast.
We’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading! And in the future, whether you’re interested in engaging Freed for a project, are inquiring about a job opportunity or just want to know more about our company, we’d like to hear from you.  
Dava Freed, Founder and CEO | 510-525-1853
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Freed Associates | 412 Yale Avenue | Kensington | CA | 94708