Understanding the intersection of COVID-19 and SDoH.
Over the past 20 months, I’ve reviewed countless nooks and crannies of COVID’s intersection with the social determinants of health (SDoH). One issue not addressed is the societal shift in insurance, from private and commercial plans to public options.
The U.S. Census Bureau has provided current demographical statistics on this topic, which should constitute information of interest to every healthcare organization.
The Bureau’s latest report, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2020, looks at the breakdown across all coverage sectors:
Those without these coverage options are considered uninsured, along with persons only having coverage through the Indian Health Service, since this coverage is not considered comprehensive.
The report lowdown provides interesting considerations:
Report reviewers were quick to note how the data reflected the pandemic’s impact: more people started relying on public insurance options, there were dramatic increases in families relying on CHIP, and there was a troubling rise to almost 10 percent of children now living below the poverty level (a story I reported on last week). The formal report is available through the U.S. Census Bureau website, with associated links in my story this week for RACmonitor. Data on Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states is also provided, a topic of ongoing scrutiny.
At the end of the day, close to 12 percent of the population lacked health insurance, the composition of that group being Hispanic (24.9 percent), Black (14.3 percent), and whites and Asians (7.7 percent). Hospitals provided $41.6 billion in uncompensated care in 2019, with the number expected to skyrocket for 2020! We’ve got miles to go before we sleep in addressing this challenge.
This week’s Monitor Mondays survey explored the impact of these trends on our listeners’ organizations; it asked what the applicable shift most noticed. Review this week’s, and other recent survey results, at Monitor Monday Survey Results.
Programming Note: Listen to Ellen Fink-Samnick’s live reporting on the social determinants of health, Mondays, on Monitor Mondays, 10 Eastern.
I want to cover a story that was spectacularly overshadowed by the recent assassination of former CEO for UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson. The story is the
It’s been an interesting week in corporate healthcare. But I want to start with some context. First, it’s important to recognize that the purpose of
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Join Beth Wolf, MD, CPC, CCDS, for an in-depth webcast on the FY2025 spinal fusion MS-DRG updates. Discover key changes in DRG classification, understand impacts on documentation and CMI, and learn strategies to ensure compliance.
Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.
Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.
Enhancing outpatient clinical documentation is crucial for maintaining accuracy, compliance, and proper reimbursement in today’s complex healthcare environment. This webcast, presented by industry expert Angela Comfort, DBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, will provide you with actionable strategies to tackle complex challenges in outpatient documentation. You’ll learn how to craft detailed clinical narratives, utilize advanced EHR features, and implement accurate risk adjustment and HCC coding. The session also covers essential regulatory updates to keep your documentation practices compliant. Join us to gain the tools you need to improve documentation quality, support better patient care, and ensure financial integrity.
Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.
Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks. Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.
Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.
During this RACmonitor webcast Dr. Ronald Hirsch spotlights the areas of the OIG’s Work Plan and the findings of their most recent audits that impact utilization review, case management, and audit staff. He also provides his common-sense interpretation of the prevailing regulations related to those target issues. You’ll walk away better equipped with strategies to put in place immediately to reduce your risk of paybacks, increased scrutiny, and criminal penalties.
Copyright © 2024 ICD10monitor. Powered by MedLearn Media.
Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
