The Departments Issue Final Rule on HRAs
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) are a type of account-based health plan that employers can use to reimburse employees for their medical care expenses. Because HRAs are tax-preferred, workers who buy an individual market plan with an HRA receive the same tax advantages as workers with traditional employer-sponsored coverage, as stated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
(more…)
Social Determinants of Health-What are Health Plans Doing?
The idiom social determinants of health (SDOH) has been buzzing around the country for several years. The widespread acknowledgement behind this concept proves these determinants to be essential in achieving the best health outcomes for a variety of individuals. Although many health plans have been working on projects to address these factors, we’ve witnessed a lack of transparency, socioeconomic challenges, and isolation.
Bipartisanship? On High Drug Prices, Yes
It’s no secret that drug prices are high for Americans. After studying wholesale prices for thousands of drugs, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that prices from drugs of all types and from all classes (brand-name, specialty, generics/orals or injectable) have been rising faster than inflation from 2008 to 2016.
(more…)
Converging Social Determinants of Health and Medicaid Managed Care
Policymakers are recognizing the impact that social and economic factors have on a consumer’s approach to healthcare. Access to housing, healthy food, and income must be taken into consideration as a person determines the appropriate health plan coverage. Social determinants of health (SDOH) can control up to 80% of health outcomes according research by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This statistic encompasses mainly Medicaid’s low-income enrollees who struggle with covering basic needs.
In this blog we’ll discuss the growing focus around Medicaid Managed Care and how social determinants of health can recover health outcomes.
(more…)
Humans and AI Hand in Hand: The Regulation of AI
Healthcare Consumers Demand Convenience
Consumers are showing an increased demand for patient-centric portals with simplified transparency. More specifically, healthcare payers are seeking a convenient way to receive and review electronic health records (EHR) within the current market. With these recent developments, 68% of physicians believe they are prepared to provide quality in the midst of a changing industry, as stated by Healthcare Finance. This innovative revolution has consumers interested in technologies that will aid in managing their health.
(more…)
Product talk: Lighthouse
A modernized platform that allows carriers to submit tickets for updates, production processes, operations, and project changes has finally been built. We are excited to introduce Lighthouse, Softheon’s support product that allows our carriers to connect with us around the clock to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
Here’s how Lighthouse works:
(more…)
Go Beyond the Cloud with Sing Rou Lee
Meet Cloud Maker, Sing Rou Lee, Director of Product Management
A degree in Economics from Stony Brook University, a passion for research, and inspiration from her Malaysian roots, Sing Rou Lee proudly leads Softheon’s product team.
(more…)
Debating A.I.’s Role in Health Care
No longer a hypothetical tool, artificial intelligence (A.I.) has planted its feet in health care globally. It is already being used by Google in some of India’s hospitals to fight diabetic blindness, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first machine learning (ML) algorithm to measure how much blood flows through the heart in 2018.
(more…)