Latest news with #healthcareindustry
Medscape
7 hours ago
- Business
- Medscape
Home Healthcare Common for People With Dementia
The use of home healthcare services is common among people with dementia, especially for community-initiated care, a new analysis of Medicare data showed. Between 2010 and 2019, use of community-initiated home healthcare increased by 17%, while use of home healthcare for postacute care rose by 21%. Use decreased after 2020, which investigators said could be linked to staffing shortages in the home healthcare industry. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis, including over 13 million older adults (mean age, 79.4 years; 60% women; 86% White individuals) who were enrolled for traditional Medicare and received home healthcare between 2010 and 2022. The frequency and duration of home healthcare spells were analyzed and compared between individuals with dementia (28%) and those without dementia (72%). Postacute care was defined as home healthcare instituted within 14 days of discharge from a hospital, nursing home, or other facility. All other home healthcare use was classified as community-initiated. TAKEAWAY: Between 2010 and 2022, there were 30,998,653 home healthcare spells (mean, 2.2 home health spells per beneficiary). Individuals with dementia used community-initiated home healthcare more frequently than postacute care (54% vs 46%). Among individuals with dementia, the number of community-initiated care spells increased from 35.4 to 40.2 per 1000 beneficiaries and that of postacute care spells increased from 28.9 to 35.1 per 1000 beneficiaries (2010-2019) and then fell to 33.6 and 28.5 per 1000 beneficiaries by mid-2022, respectively. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of community-initiated care spells among individuals without dementia decreased by 20%, while postacute care spells decreased by 21% in this population. Home healthcare spells were consistently longer for individuals with dementia than those without it (47-52 days vs 44-50 days for community-initiated care and 40-43 days vs 32-34 days for postacute care). IN PRACTICE: 'Despite increasing use of home health care during this time period, people may receive incomplete support for their home healthcare needs through Medicare, which is centered on needs for skilled care, or Medicaid, which entails strict asset and income tests. Decreasing rates of home healthcare use since 2020 in this high-need population point to a need for ongoing monitoring of service use and outcomes for people with dementia,' the investigators wrote. SOURCE: The study was led by Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. It was published online on May 16 in JAMA Network Open . LIMITATIONS: The study relied on claims data for dementia diagnosis. The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted healthcare utilization, potentially leading to underdiagnosis of dementia toward the study's end. Additionally, the study only included traditional Medicare beneficiaries as those enrolled in Medicare Advantage typically use home healthcare at lower rates and for shorter periods, which may have influenced the observed trends. DISCLOSURES: The study was funded by the National Institute of Aging. One author reported receiving personal fees from City Block Health and Trinity Health outside the submitted work.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Horizon CEO touts recruitment push, says nurse vacancies down to 61
A recent hiring spree has set Horizon Health up well for staffing, according to CEO Margaret Melanson, who says staffing-based closures are no longer an issue.
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Healthcare Security And Compliance: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Ben Tercha is COO at Omega Systems, an award-winning managed IT services provider (MSP) and managed security service provider (MSSP). Perhaps tasked with meeting more stringent cybersecurity and compliance demands than any other industry, the healthcare sector faces a myriad of complex challenges. While there are bright spots to applaud, there's also continued progress yet to be made—and in some cases, potential danger zones to beware of. Let's break down some of the good, the bad and the ugly hallmarks of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) in the healthcare industry today. It's not all doom and gloom. Today's healthcare organizations are more equipped than ever before to face an increasingly dangerous threat landscape, thanks in part to rigorous regulatory demands, innovative technology capabilities and more general awareness of potential security threats. HIPAA compliance standards continue to evolve, with new proposals for increased data protection introduced as recently as a few months ago. If enacted, these stricter security measures will help fortify the industry and ensure a continued focus on patients' rights as well as data transparency and privacy. Under the proposed rule, new requirements would include: • Security controls such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), network segmentation and data encryption while at rest and in transit; • Written procedures for restoring lost data and protected health information (PHI) within 72 hours; and • Annual completion of a HIPAA compliance audit. Technology innovations, like AI-powered threat detection, advanced endpoint security tools and behavioral analytics are improving cybersecurity defense strategies and giving healthcare companies more ammo to fight sophisticated threats. More healthcare providers are taking action to assess third-party risks than ever before, performing at least basic vendor due diligence and asking providers to validate data privacy and security controls at a high level. Despite some progress, many healthcare organizations still struggle with navigating an increasingly complex cybersecurity and compliance landscape. While many healthcare entities meet HIPAA's basic compliance standards for data privacy, most still lack a robust, proactive risk management strategy that includes multi-layered security protections across the perimeter, network and endpoints. Too few organizations are implementing what I consider "must-have" security controls for the healthcare industry today: MFA, endpoint detection and response, and data encryption, for example. These tools are both powerful and cost-effective, and yet we still see companies sidestep adoption too easily. Furthermore, a vast number of companies in the healthcare industry appear reticent to utilize outsourced providers such as MSPs/MSSPs for deeper IT and security expertise. This hesitation can lead to over-burdened internal teams and can hinder organizational productivity, innovation and scalability in the long run. Most healthcare companies don't have the tools or expertise to understand where PHI resides and how it moves within their IT environments, not to mention the value of that data! It's often stored in multiple, unsecured locations, and cloud applications and other data sources often lack deeper connectivity and integration—all of which can lead to increased breach potential. Human error remains one of the biggest dangers for businesses across all industries. For healthcare companies, a lack of consistent security awareness training and real-time education will continue to increase potential risks. Believe it or not, there are even bigger security concerns for the healthcare industry today, and without a concerted effort to address growing risks, companies—and their patients—will suffer. Hackers view healthcare organizations (including hospitals, insurance carriers and even smaller medical practices) as "low-hanging fruit." They frequently take advantage of outdated infrastructure, unpatched systems/applications and untrained employees to execute sophisticated phishing scams and zero-day attacks against the healthcare sector that lead to operational disruptions and financial loss. Beyond fines, data breaches result in sensitive data exposure, reputational damage, lawsuits and even potential harm to patient care. More than perhaps any other industry, healthcare providers need to take extra care to secure systems and data to ensure they do not end up in the wrong hands. Healthcare providers face increasing scrutiny from regulators, class-action lawsuits from patients and hefty penalties for non-compliance. As HIPAA considers rolling out additional requirements, it will be incumbent on organizations to evaluate opportunities to fortify their security stack to avoid serious consequences. In fact, there have been calls to remove existing statutory caps on fines, a move that could lead to more significant and immediate non-compliance penalties. Despite increasing regulatory oversight and a constant stream of attacks in the news, too many healthcare companies are letting cost dictate their security strategy. Of course, most businesses don't have unlimited IT budgets, so it's impossible to adopt every new and shiny security tool on the market. However, there's a fine line between cost control and penny-pinching. Modern cyber threats demand a modern approach to cybersecurity. In practice, that means healthcare organizations need to align internally on their overall approach to GRC and develop a strategic roadmap that balances both efficiency and risk. Furthermore, relying on reputable IT partners and investing in robust technology solutions have proven to not only extend the effectiveness of internal resources but also aid the security and compliance process in a meaningful way. Organizations that avoid or delay security investments will likely end up spending more working on breach recovery, non-compliance fines and reputational damage. Considering the options of a five-dollar-per-user MFA solution versus hundreds of hours of incident response and the exponential cost to your organization and its patients, I know what I would choose. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Travel Daily News
19-05-2025
- Health
- Travel Daily News
GlobalData highlights potential impact of US tariffs on medical tourism
US tariffs on Chinese medical imports are raising healthcare costs, driving more Americans toward affordable treatment abroad through medical tourism. US trade policy has seen notable changes recently, particularly with regard to import tariffs on countries such as China. Though these policies are usually justified by economic and geopolitical considerations, they also impact other areas, including the medical device industry and, more specifically, medical tourism. One growing outcome is how these tariffs are affecting medical tourism – the practice of traveling to another country to receive healthcare services. As medical expenses continue to climb in the US, a growing number of patients are looking overseas for more cost-effective treatment options, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The US has imposed steep tariffs on a range of medical products imported from China, including syringes and needles, rubber medical and surgical gloves, and facemasks. These items are integral to a wide variety of medical procedures and daily healthcare operations. The imposition of tariffs on such goods has disrupted supply chains, constrained hospital procurement strategies, and driven up the cost of healthcare delivery across the US. In response to these rising costs, a growing number of Americans are turning to medical tourism. Popular destinations include Mexico, India, Thailand, and Costa Rica, which offer competitive pricing and internationally accredited healthcare facilities. For example, the average cost of a knee replacement surgery in the US can exceed $50,000, but the same procedure in India or Mexico can be performed for $8000-$12,000. As US healthcare providers face increased operational costs due to tariffs – especially on imported surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment, and protective gear – the price gap between domestic and international care continues to widen, creating a financial incentive for patients to consider treatment overseas. Alexandra Murdoch, Senior Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: 'While the intended impact of tariffs may not have been to effect healthcare, they do shape patient behavior. The rise in the cost of medical devices ultimately leads to more out-of-pocket expenses for patients.' US tariffs on medical imports are reshaping not only international trade relationships but also domestic healthcare economics. The direct result is an increase in the cost of medical care, which disproportionately affects uninsured and underinsured populations. One of the most notable responses to these price pressures has been a rise in outbound medical tourism. Patients are seeking high-quality, affordable care in countries that are not impacted by these tariffs – a trend that is likely to continue if current trade and healthcare cost trajectories remain unchanged. Murdoch concludes: 'This dynamic highlights a deeper connection between global trade policy and patient access to care. As the US continues to adjust its economic strategy, it will be important for policymakers and healthcare leaders to consider the downstream impacts on medical accessibility, affordability, and patient behavior.'
Wall Street Journal
14-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Why UnitedHealth's Blowup May Be More Isolated Than Investors Think
UnitedHealth Group UNH -17.79%decrease; red down pointing triangle is the nation's largest health insurer and is often seen as a bellwether for the managed-care industry, shaping how investors view the whole sector. But this time around, its problems may be its own. For the past few years, rising medical costs in the Medicare Advantage business have been an issue for health insurers generally, causing many to underperform their own outlooks. So when UnitedHealth pulled its 2025 earnings guidance and announced the sudden departure of Chief Executive Andrew Witty, investors didn't wait to hear the details—they sold off the entire sector.
