Archive for the ‘Accountable Care Organizations’ Category

Applying Section 1557 Discrimination Rules to Employer Sponsored Health Plans

Sunday, February 11th, 2018

By Fisher, JD, CHC, CCEP

Health Plan 1557 Compliance

Section 1557 Covered Entities and Employer Sponsored Health Plans

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits “covered entities” discrimination in health programs that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Human and Health Services.  Regulations were issued in 2016 that define the details of compliance with Section 1557 which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, disability and sex.  (including discrimination based on pregnancy, gender identity and sex stereotyping).  The stated purpose for the rules is to expand access and eliminate barriers to the ability to obtain health care coverage.

The definition of “covered entities” to which Section 1557 apply is extremely broad.  Through the broad definition, the requirements of Section 1557 apply to any health program or activity that received federal financial assistance through the Department of Health and Human Service.  This definition includes most health care providers, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and physician, who receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, insurance marketplace and exchanges and participating health plans.

The Section 1557 rules extend to some (but not all) employers that are group health plan sponsors.  Determining whether Section 1557 applies to a specific employer can be quite complicated and is based on several factors such as

Read more here: Health Law Blog

  

Clinical Integration Readiness – Determining Organizational Readiness to Clinically Integration

Wednesday, January 27th, 2016

Clinical Integration is the word of the day for provider organizations.  Clinical integration projects have emerged in all corners of the State of Wisconsin.  Our law firm has been at the center of many of these clinical integration programs and the creation of Accountable Care Organizations.

In a recent Article published on the Health Law Blog, we cover the issue of Clinical Integration Readiness Assessment.  During early assessment and design stages, we attempt to encourage broad participation by providers.  We will normally recommend the creation of a governance and committee structure that is as inclusive as possible.  Clinical integration is primarily a process that physicians perform.  Mechanisms are created through which physicians collaborate across specialty, in an interdependent way toward the end goals of increasing quality and efficiencies.  Ideally, the process should be collaborative between physicians and institutional providers.  However, the dynamics between hospitals and physicians can sometimes adversely impact the working relationship.

Find more by reading the full post over at the Health Care Blog.  This is an issue that all Wisconsin health care providers will want to follow because it is changing the central dynamic of the health care system.

Are You Ready For Clinical Integration?

Ruder Ware Clinical Integration Practice

Bundled Payment Arrangements for Clinically Integrated Networks

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

By John Fisher, JD, CHC, CCEP

Bundled Payment Arrangements CINs

Bundled Payment and ACO Arrangements – Clinically Integrated Payment Methodologies

Bundled payment involves an agreement between a provider group and a payor for the management of a defined segment of care for an agreed price. A bundled payment would include one payment for all providers involved in the episode of care that is within the bundled area. All providers providing care within the episode of care are entitled to be covered under the bundled payment.

The idea behind bundled payment is to place providers across the spectrum of the applicable care continuum at financial risk and to provide shared financial incentives. In theory, this forces otherwise disjointed providers to cooperate to better coordinate care and to coordinate at a higher level with other elements of the continuum of care.

Bundled payment is one of the primary reasons why providers are mobbing toward clinically integrated health care systems. CINs provide a mechanism for providers across the continuum of care to agree upon protocols and other mechanisms to help them be more cost efficient in the management of bundled areas of care while maximizing the quality of care and outcomes provided to patients.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has developed a Bundled Payment Program

Read more here: Health Law Blog