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An integrated delivery system (IDS) is a network of healthcare providers and organizations that provide or arrange to provide a coordinated continuum of services. Services provided by an IDS can include a fully equipped community and/or tertiary hospital, home...

For people unable to receive health coverage through their employer or the government, the Affordable Care Act legislation will create a competitive marketplace for buying coverage from insurers at the state-specific level.

These programs are established to reward providers of care for better results. They require the care-providing organizations have a system of accurate measurements to gauge performance (i.e., a hospital measuring readmission rates). If the organization achieves...

Global payments (global capitation) are fixed payments for which providers are given a pre-specified amount per patient (dependent on demographic data and other considerations) for a time period such as a month or a year. This payment schema places the burden of risk...

A significant goal of the Affordable Care Act is near universal coverage. To accomplish this, a mandate requiring most U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health insurance is included. There are individual regulations that support this initiative by: •   ...

Much of the care delivered today has been simply based on expert opinion. Evidence-Based Medicine’s (EBM)’s charge is to deliver care that has strong scientific validation. Ideally this term refers to the synthesis of individual, first-hand clinical experience with...

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, e-prescribing is, “a prescriber’s ability to electronically send an accurate, error-free and understandable prescription directly to a pharmacy from the point-of-care.” Studies have demonstrated that replacing...

This Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandate requires employers to either offer minimal levels of health insurance coverage to their employees or pay a fine, which in turn will subsidize health insurance for those without access. This part of the health...

Electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) are computerized records maintained centrally by a medical practice or health center to keep track of patient care. EMRs are electronic versions of a patient’s paper medical chart and maintain a...

The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) is a temporary $5 billion program established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Its purpose is to help businesses and unions cover the healthcare costs of Medicare-ineligible early retirees, their spouses,...