July 16, 2024
Providers | Tea Leaves
  • Nineteen rural Minnesota hospitals and their 50-plus clinics have banded together to form a clinically integrated network (CIN) serving more than 750,000 people. The so-called Headwaters High-Value Network, announced Thursday, stitches the independent hospitals’ services together so that Minnesotans can coordinate their care across care sites. Together, the member groups employ about 9,000 people and bring in $1.3 billion of annual net revenue. Members of the network also said the approach will help their hospitals control rising care costs through reduced administrative burden and shared services. The CIN said it is “in discussions” with other interested rural Minnesota hospitals and “expects to grow.” (Article here)
  • Rural and underserved health care providers are advocating strongly to preserve telehealth flexibilities, crucial lifelines that are set to expire on December 31 unless Congress acts. These waivers, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed for expanded reimbursement and accessibility of telehealth services. Industry leaders, such as Carrie Cochran-McClain from the National Rural Health Association, emphasize the necessity of long-term certainty beyond this year to justify further investments in telehealth infrastructure. Providers like Piggott Health System in Arkansas have seen significant benefits from telemedicine, particularly in connecting patients with specialist care remotely, saving travel time, and enhancing local health care access. Despite optimism for another extension from Congress, concerns persist over the fragmented regulatory landscape and varying state reimbursement policies, highlighting the urgent need for unified federal guidelines to sustain and expand rural telehealth initiatives nationwide. (Article here)