Policy & Research
Dive into policy insights and cutting-edge research with Our Ideas articles in Policy & Research. Stay informed and shape impactful strategies.
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Scrutinizing the Community Benefit (and Harm) of Non-Profit Hospital Billing Practices
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In a recent article, we raised the question of whether nonprofit hospitals are effectively “earning” their privileged tax status by returning a community benefit greater than, or at least equal to, the cost of their deferred taxes. We also discussed how the Affordable Care Act provided essential tools, the Community Health Needs Assessment and the […]
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Policy & Procedure Components You Need For Your Organization’s Success
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Writing and organizing accessible policies and procedures for an organization, its employees, and contractors is essential. Policies and procedures lay the foundation upon which organizations are built, reflecting your values, and guiding your employees.
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No Surprises (?) in the No Surprises Act
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Earlier this January, I had my yearly physical. After my visit, I paid my copay and went about my day, assuming that was the end. Then in May, I received a mystery bill of $200 for services rendered “by my provider.” What a surprise! Let’s talk about the absurdity of the No Surprise Act, shall we?
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The Big Question: Is there Harm Reduction in Healthcare?
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There’s no denying it: healthcare is full of bureaucracy (even spelling “bureaucracy” feels bureaucratic). We’re told that red tape is about quality and cost containment. But is it really?
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A Spotlight on Competition: Reflections on Adam Smith, Alain Enthoven, and Winston Churchill
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In the United States, we rely upon free market principles of competition, supply, and demand to provide efficient pricing related to healthcare services. This reliance has led to excessive market concentration in health care. While Americans have spent the past 50 years resolutely resisting proactive regulation to correct this market failure, Atrómitos Principal Tina Simpson shares why she is hopeful that recent “course corrections” applied via an Executive Order and agency action from the FTC and DOJ are not too little too late.
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Post-Public Health Emergency: Don’t Forget the Importance of Telehealth
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The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) moved us to provide and receive telehealth services. As the PHE comes to an end, many of us are reluctant to give up the flexibilities and access telehealth providers to achieve and maintain health. This week, Principal Tina Simpson reminds us about our pre-COVID telehealth experience and advocates for continued (and maybe increased?) access through telehealth.
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State Directed Payments: Part II– Medicaid Supplemental Payments
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In the second installment of the series on State Directed Payments, Sarah Jagger shares the good, the bad, and the really (really) stupid about Medicaid Supplemental Payments.
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State Directed Payments: Part I—Medicaid Financing 101
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Atrómitos Vice President of Operations, Sarah Jagger, kicks off a new 3-part series on Medicaid State Directed Payments. This first article provides an important primer on key constructs of Medicaid financing. And a brief introduction of state-directed payments that play an important role in state Medicaid financing strategies and are the focus of upcoming policy recommendations to Congress by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).
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Understanding Stability, Agility, and Distribution of Our Healthcare
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Healthcare is more than the prevention, treatment, or maintenance of clinical conditions. It also plays a role in how governments establish legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens. Peter Freeman asks the question: how is the current health infrastructure of the United States impacting the perception of our government?
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National Patient Recognition Week: Building Trust and Improving the Doctor-Patient Relationship
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In health care, we are all seeking to make some big, positive changes. This week, as we celebrate National Patient Recognition week, Atrómitos’ Vice President of Operations, Sarah Jagger reminds us why that doesn’t happen without recognizing patients and the role they play in transformation – and how we can tie it all back to the lessons of Groundhog Day.
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The 1, 2, and 3 of Policy Engagement: How To Stay Current With Limited Resources
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Everything we do is dictated by a policy (or the lack thereof). By extension, that means everyone is impacted by policy. But not everyone engages with the policy process: some of us never learned how, some of us do not have the resources to do so, and some of us think it is not our responsibility. For those of you interested in becoming more involved, we talk through some ways to get started.
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Trickle-Down Economics and Underrepresentation: The (Partial) Design of “Underserved” Communities
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As the year comes to a close, many of us focus our end-of-year giving on supporting those in need. This week, we consider the reality that “those in need” are such by our design and explore how economic and voting rights policies created the construct of “underserved” communities.
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Understanding the Assignment: Why “Cause Work Is Hard” Isn’t An Excuse
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Implementation of ONC and CMS CURES Act Final Rules raises questions and operational headaches, including the potential for increased administrative burden on providers as change is implemented. But that doesn’t mean that these aren’t important and needed changes. This week Atrómitos Principal Tina Simpson evaluates a recent JAMA study evaluating patients’ immediate access to test results on portals and its association with increased messaging with providers.
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Mapping Our Path to Digital Equity: Lessons from The Phantom Tollbooth
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The COVID-19 public health emergency brought the journey to close the Digital Divide to the forefront for many (though some of us have been on this adventure for a while). Looking at both North Carolina and the federal government as examples, we map out what steps need to be taken to succeed in this “impossible” task and achieve Digital Equity. (Note: We don’t think this is impossible.)
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The Intersection of Quality & Value-Based Care
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Healthcare Quality Week highlights the importance of quality in the healthcare delivery system. Guest Author Lavondia Alexander with Evolve Health Strategists breaks down the basics of why quality is important, how it impacts payment models, and how you can begin improving your quality game.
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The Monop-sony-and–oly of Healthcare: A Call to Government Action
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According to an annual report by the AMA, competition within the health insurance market is decreasing. This week we explore what that means, how it impacts care delivery, and what actions are necessary to correct it.
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CyberSecurity Awareness Month: A Call to Focus on its Impact on Patient Care
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This week, Tina Simpson is joined by freshman, an information security professional with 25 years’ leadership in cybersecurity, with a particular focus on medtech. In this article, Tina and freshman evaluate a critical cybersecurity capacity and infrastructure gap across health providers in the United States and call for stakeholders to re-evaluate their assessment of the costs of continuing to defer action.
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NC Medicaid Tailored Plans: We Gotta Get this Right
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North Carolina is poised to implement Tailored Plans, a new managed care program, that will serve as an integrated health plan for individuals with significant behavioral health needs and intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DDs) next July. Reflecting on lessons learned from other states, DHHS has the opportunity to take action NOW to ensure provider, plan, and system readiness.
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Moving from Health Literacy to Health Communication
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In honor of International Literacy Day (September 8), we take the opportunity to reflect on how literacy intersects with health outcomes and introduce the importance of health literacy.
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Mirror, Mirror 2021: An Opportunity For Change
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Using data from the Commonwealth Fund’s Mirror, Mirror 2021 report, Peter Freeman assesses the impact a country’s investment in social services has on its health outcomes.
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#NHCW2021: Homage to Community Health Centers
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This week, we celebrated National Health Center Week and helping to get the message out about the extraordinary work community health centers accomplish within the communities they serve. Here’s what you need to know.
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The Affordable Care Act Lives to Fight Another Day
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Yesterday, the Supreme Court released its decision in California v. Texas, upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) against a challenge by Republican-controlled “Red States” and the Trump Administration.
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Reflections on the Campaign for Data Interoperability
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A little over a week ago, the ONC announced the early retirement of its ten-year Interoperability Roadmap. Here’s our thoughts.
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The “Hospital-at-Home” Model: A Care Delivery Innovation with Traditional Roots
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It’s National Hospital Week, so we’re taking a closer look at the “Hospital-at-Home” Model — a care delivery innovation with traditional roots. Here’s what you need to know.
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Public Health is the Future
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It’s National Public Health Week, so it’s time that we recognize public health for what it is (our future) and invest in it as such.
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The American Rescue Plan and Public Health Infrastructure
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Last week Congress passed the much-anticipated American Rescue Plan of 2021 (the ARP). Here’s what you need to know.
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NC Foster Care Plan Delayed: Complex Needs Necessitate Intentional Program Design
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NC DHHS has announced that it will delay the implementation of the Foster Care Plan until July 2023. Here’s what stakeholders need to know.
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The New NC DHHS Foster Care Plan: What the Department, Plans, and Partners Must Do for Success
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Earlier this month, NC DHHS issued its latest Medicaid Managed Care Policy Paper describing a new element of Medicaid Transformation in the state: Intent to establish a specialized managed care plan for children in foster care. Here’s what you need to know.
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The Cost of Consolidation
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Publicly owned hospitals are becoming an “increasingly endangered species,” and the recent consolidation in North Carolina has garnered both national attention as well as local controversy. Here’s what you need to know.
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A Call to Understand and Expand Medicaid This Year
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In Atrómitos’ final article of 2020, we wrote about the need for 2021 to be the year we address the myriad wicked problems confronting our nation. In keeping with that theme and also given that the N.C. General Assembly has recently convened for its new session, we’re talking about Medicaid expansion.