Health Care Finance, Article Review Example

Carlson, J., Conn, J., & Robeznieks, A. (2014). Bruised by ICD-10 delay, healthcare execs huddle over what to do next. Modern Healthcare, retrieved from http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140405/MAGAZINE/304059985/bruised-by-icd-10-delay-healthcare-execs-huddle-over-what-to-do-next

This article addresses the significance of the current delay established by the federal government regarding mandatory ICD-10 coding to October 1, 2015. The preparation for ICD-10 has been a significant challenge for healthcare organizations because it requires significant capital to implement new systems or upgrade current systems, depending on current capabilities. Many organizations have committed to the mandate and have prepared for the change by using significant capital resources in order to be prepared for the changes that are required; however, a change in the start date has many organizations up in arms because they could have delayed their upgrades and used the capital required for this change for other projects that are essential to the core of the practice and its level of patient care quality.

This set of circumstances is difficult for organizations to manage because they have been largely impacted by the government mandate for ICD-10 coding, even if they were not sufficiently prepared for the change. This is an enormous task to undertake for any healthcare organization and requires much consideration and analysis in order to prepare for an upgrade of this magnitude. The frustration experienced by Catholic Health initiatives, in this article, as well as other providers demonstrates the challenges of rolling out a large-scale mandate and how it impacts clinicians who must be trained on the new system in accordance with federal guidelines. This process is time consuming, expensive, and requires significant knowledge of the system; therefore, it is a burden for which organizations have no choice and for which they must continue to pay the consequences of allocating capital for a mandate that is required but is now delayed for a lengthy period of time. This places a significant burden on healthcare organizations to shuffle their priorities to meet other demands while ICD-10 is on hold.

Bandell, B. (2014). Cigna partners with Holy Cross doctors for accountable care network. South Florida Business Journal, retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2014/04/07/cigna-partners-with-holy-cross-doctors-for.html

This article addresses a change in the practices associated with Cigna and its relationship to Holy Cross Physician Partners to an accountable care organization (ACO) model. This represents an opportunity for these physicians, located in Broward and Palm Beach counties, to practice under this model to accommodate Medicare-based requirements within this location. This will enable the organization to collaborate across different locations, share information with other providers as well as insurers, and also demonstrate the importance of this information in order to enable patients to obtain access to specialized care as necessary that will effectively meet their needs. The ACO model is important because it provides further support of the challenges associated with coordinating patient care in different settings, which is made easier through these collaborations.

The article is effective in providing a level of care and commitment that supports patient needs more effectively and on a more consistent basis. This will likely improve patient satisfaction rates and provide patients with improved quality of life. At the same time, this ACO model will enhance the rewards provided to physicians through expanded programmatic efforts to reduce costs will improving value, which could enable physicians to receive these rewards on a regular basis. These factors will provide further support of the model and its value to these South Florida communities and a high level of support for the patients of the Holy Cross health system. In many ways, the ACO described in this article is a win-win for all parties, as patients receive the care that they require, physicians are rewarded for their efforts, and communication is open and active across all channels, using all available resources to meet these requirements in a timely manner.

References

Bandell, B. (2014). Cigna partners with Holy Cross doctors for accountable care network. South Florida Business Journal, retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2014/04/07/cigna-partners-with-holy-cross-doctors-for.html

Carlson, J., Conn, J., & Robeznieks, A. (2014). Bruised by ICD-10 delay, healthcare execs huddle over what to do next. Modern Healthcare, retrieved from http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140405/MAGAZINE/304059985/bruised-by-icd-10-delay-healthcare-execs-huddle-over-what-to-do-next