For the past eight years, we’ve had a national discussion about the affordability of health coverage and what Americans should pay for (or not pay for) their coverage. And we’re about to embark on more robust discussion of that question when the Republican administration proposes “alternatives” to the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

But I don’t think this discussion should happen in a vacuum. There are underlying economic issues: For example, what is a “living wage” in the United States? Does the living wage include enough money to purchase health insurance? Does our current health . . .

Want To Read More? Log In Or Become A Free Member
Resource Available For All OPEN MINDS Circle Members
If you are already a member, log in to your account to access this resource and more.

You can become a free member and get access now. Learn more about the OPEN MINDS Circle Market Intelligence Service Membership. Reach out to our team at info@openminds.com, or call us at 877-350-6463.

A Paid OPEN MINDS Circle Membership provides unlimited organizational access to all OPEN MINDS strategic advice, market intelligence, and management best practices – over 250,000 resources!

Medicare

The Medicare program is a health insurance program funded by the federal government for older adults, aged 65 and above, as well as younger individuals who have disabilities or end-stage renal disease. There are both strategic opportunities and challenges for health and human service provider organizations serving Medicare beneficiaries, who often have complex health and social support needs. As a result, Medicare plans are looking for innovative services and initiatives that demonstrate a return-on-investment in spending and consumer outcomes.


Among Medicare beneficiaries with mental health diagnoses, those who switched from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare in 2018 made more mental health visits after the switch, according to a recent study. Researchers conducted a longitudinal analysis of Medicare Advantage encounter data and traditional Medicare claims data from 2017 and 2018 for beneficiaries diagnosed with mental health disorders. The comparison focused on mental health utilization for the 12 months before and after beneficiaries switched from Medicare… Read