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Over 13 million children in the U.S. have special health care needs, and Medicaid plays an important role in ensuring these children get the care that they need to improve their health and their quality of life.

Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are those who “have or are at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions and also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally” as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover about half of CYSHCN who require medical and long-term care services due to intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental health disabilities. 

Medicaid makes health care coverage affordable for these children and their families. Most of these children live in low- or middle-income families. Some CYSHCN qualify for Medicaid based solely on their family’s low income, and others qualify for Medicaid through a disability-related pathway. 

States can also allow CYSHCN in middle income families to “buy in” to Medicaid to get the care that they need by covering services that are not included under private insurance and by making coverage affordable. 

Most CYSHCN are school-aged, with just over one in five being five years old or younger, and many require additional help or therapy at school. Medicaid helps by supplementing special education services and by providing therapy through special education at school. Medicaid also covers additional therapies necessary for a child to function at home and in their community. 

Children with higher level needs can get coverage for physical and behavioral health services and long-term services and supports that keep them living at home with their families. Many of these services are either not covered or are only available in limited amounts through private insurance. 

Health plans play an important role in helping CYSHCN and their families, including two services that are essential to ensuring these families get quality care.

Assign a Primary Care Provider

The AAP recommends that pediatricians play a leadership role in ensuring CYSHCN get the care they need. Their recommendations include:

• Promoting health and wellness and timely assessments of child social-emotional health, parental and/or caregiver depression, and social determinants of health.
• Preparing pediatric practices to improve screening, referrals, and follow-up of these children to ensure they receive the care they need.
• Working with child care and school staff to monitor progress, reduce absences, and improve learning experiences and academic performance.
• Advocating for community-based resources and strategies to address social determinants of health and reduction of disparities for children with health issues and their families.

Ensuring CYSHCN families are assigned to a provider they feel comfortable with and see regularly is an important component of their care.

Provide Care Management

Care management can provide an additional level of support to these children and their families to help them navigate complex systems and ensure they get the care they need to grow into the most productive and healthy people they can be.

A few years ago, The Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis to be a public health emergency (PHE). Amid addressing the challenges of that PHE, the COVID-19 pandemic came to the doorstep and presented another challenge, which has exacerbated issues for those struggling with substance abuse and the professionals who are trying to provide treatment. EHS Today reported, “Public health officials across the country are reporting spikes in drug overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 30 states reporting increases in opioid-involved overdose deaths.”

To complicate matters, individuals struggling with substance abuse and addiction are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection and complications, raising the importance of addressing both diseases.

In response to the pandemic, treatment programs have integrated telehealth technology for services they typically offer in person, including individual and group counseling, psychiatric services, support groups, and new patient admissions. 

Many treatment programs have faced the same challenges in the integration of telehealth that have been faced by other health care providers. There have been technology challenges, some patients lack access to technology or the skills to use it, and there can be complicated logistical problems to figure out.

Despite the start-up challenges, telehealth has resulted in some promising outcomes for treatment programs. 

For one, telehealth offers a solution for reaching patients who would otherwise experience a barrier to care. This is especially true for patients in rural areas. Previously, getting medication for the treatment of opioid addiction required an in-person appointment. However, “forty percent of counties in the U.S. do not have a single health care provider with a waiver permitting them to prescribe the opioid addiction treatment drug buprenorphine in an office setting,” according to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report. Telehealth offers a solution for those patients.

There are also anecdotal examples of the benefits of telehealth for the treatment of substance abuse. 

• An Office of Inspector General (OIG) report shared a quote from a treatment program official saying, “Our no-show rate is non-existent because of telehealth. We have bus and transportation issues when the weather is bad, but with telehealth, it is not an issue. The verbal feedback from patients is 100-percent satisfaction.”
• The OIG report also shared, “One treatment program found that patients were more willing to participate in an hour-long conversation over the phone than they were to come to the facility for an hour-long meeting.”

The advances in telehealth use are essential not only for the treatment of substance abuse but also for the treatment of comorbidities that are often connected with addiction. Substance abuse puts individuals at greater risk of multiple health issues, including:

• Mental illness
• Chronic pain
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Tobacco use
• Infectious disease (e.g., hepatitis C)
• HIV

It is important to take the lessons from this period of time to continue to leverage telehealth to break down barriers to access and deliver high-quality substance abuse treatment in the future.

Many health plans put an emphasis on assigning members to a primary care provider. It may, however, be a good practice to invest the time to match members with the right primary care provider, so the members are motivated to see the same provider consistently. 

The study entitled The Medical Home, Access to Care, and Insurance: A Review of Evidence states, “International and within-nation studies indicate that a relationship with a medical home is associated with better health, on both the individual and population levels, with lower overall costs of care and with reductions in disparities in health between socially disadvantaged subpopulations and more socially advantaged populations.”

Better Health

Members who have a PCP have been shown to have better health outcomes than members who do not consistently see the same PCP. 

One study, The Role of Provider Continuity in Preventing Hospitalizations, showed that patients with better provider continuity for one year had significantly lower rates of hospitalization in the subsequent year.

Providers are better able to assess a patient’s risks, needs, and condition when they have knowledge of their medical history. Consistency also allows for increased trust and better communication in the doctor-patient relationship.

There is also evidence that suggests that patients are more likely to follow medical recommendations and are more satisfied with their care when they have a consistent PCP.

Lower Costs

According to the report, Provider Continuity in Family Medicine: Does It Make a Difference for Total Health Care Costs? Provider continuity with a family physician was, indeed, one of the most important variables related to the total health care cost. 

The report explains, “Looking at the individual behavior of patients, a study reviewing all claims of a random sample of Medicaid patients (aged 0 to 21 years) for 3 years showed that continuity with the same practitioner was associated with a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions and overall costs.”

Another study, The Role of Provider Continuity in Preventing Hospitalizations, showed that continuity of care with a provider is associated with a decrease in the likelihood of hospitalization for the study group. 

Reduction in Health Disparities

Yet another study, Insurance or a regular physician: Which is the Most Powerful Predictor of Health Care?, pointed to the ways in which a consistent PCP can reduce health disparities. “Lack of a regular physician is a stronger, more consistent independent predictor than insurance status of each of our 3 measures of poor access to care: delay in seeking emergency care, no physician visits in the previous year, and no emergency department visits in the previous year.”

Assigning members to PCPs has long been a priority for health plans and, anecdotally, has been accepted as a best practice. However, the research is there to back the practice up. Members who have an assigned PCP are more likely to be in better health, result in lower health care costs, and experience a reduction in health care disparities.  

Chronic disease is the leading driver of the United States’ $3.5 trillion in annual health care costs. More than 80 percent of Medicaid’s expenditures are spent on adults with chronic conditions. Chronic diseases are not only expensive, but they are also pervasive. About 60% of adults in the US have a chronic condition.

Managing care for this population is essential but difficult. The Medicaid Value Program: Health Supports for Consumers with Chronic Conditions, an initiative designed by the Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. and funded by Kaiser Permanente and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, set out to find innovative ways to improve care delivery for Medicaid recipients with multiple chronic conditions. 

Through their case studies, lessons can be learned, and innovation can be sparked to help find ways to improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary health incidences and costs. Here is a summary of some of the approaches taken.

Address Social Determinants of Health 

The Care Oregon Complex Care Support Program

 This program aimed to expand and leverage care management to address factors that hinder proper care for members with chronic conditions. This included addressing mental health needs, but it also expanded to include addressing social issues, such as housing insecurity, substance abuse and addiction, and lack of social support systems. 

Integrate House Calls 

District of Columbia Department of Health, Medical Assistance Administration

 This initiative used the Medical House Call Program to assist chronically ill seniors. The program would make home visits to provide case management and to coordinate care. By providing in-home visits, the program aims to reduce end-of-life hospitalizations, hospital lengths of stay, emergency room visits, and nursing home placements.

Address Mental and Behavioral Health Care Needs

Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC

 This program expanded care management for Medicaid beneficiaries with both chronic illness and mental health or substance abuse. This included helping patients with care integration, self-management, and referrals to community resources. 

Targeting Case Management

Managed Health Services, Inc.

 This project tested predictive modeling and health risk assessment screenings to determine how to improve the case management of consumers with multiple chronic conditions. They also studied the relationship between case management and hospitalizations, and emergency room utilization.

Improve Health Education 

McKesson Health Solutions

 This project looked at the effectiveness of diabetes group education for aged, blind, and disabled Medicaid consumers. 

Utilize a Health Care Navigator

Memorial Healthcare System

 Most Valued Partner (MVP) Program integrated a Health Navigator into the disease management team to develop care plans based on each individual patient’s needs. They also addressed barriers to care, referrals to community resources, and encouraged other productive behaviors.

Integrate Care

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

 The program integrated primary care, mental health, substance abuse services, long-term care, and disease management for the target population using intensive and ongoing case management services. 

Improving outcomes for patients with chronic disease is a monumental undertaking that requires innovation, as represented in these case studies. 

At the start of the pandemic, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quickly passed emergency measures to allow flexibility for the medical community to adapt to the public health emergency (PHE) and to ensure they were able to deliver care effectively and safely. That resulted in a rapid expansion of telehealth, which has been well received by patients and providers alike.

As we look toward 2021 and to the hopes for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS has released guidelines for telehealth coverage post-pandemic.

Telehealth Services That Will Remain Permanent

These services are scheduled to become permanent effective January 1, 2021.

• Group Psychotherapy
• Domiciliary, Rest Home, or Custodial Care Services for Established Patients
• Home Visits for Established Patients
• Cognitive Assessment and Care Planning Services
• Visit Complexity Inherent to Certain Office/Outpatient E/MS
• Prolonged Services
• Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing

Telehealth Services That Will Be Removed

These services will be removed when the PHE expires.

• Initial nursing facility visits for all levels
• Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing
• Therapy Services, Physical and Occupational Therapy for all levels
• Initial hospital care and hospital discharge day management
• Inpatient Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care, Initial and Subsequent
• Initial and Continuing Neonatal Intensive Care Services
• Critical Care Services
• End-Stage Renal Disease Monthly Capitation Payment
• Radiation Treatment Management Services
• Emergency Department Visits, Levels 4-5
• Domiciliary, Rest Home, or Custodial Care services for new patients
• Home Visits for new patients, all levels
• Initial and Subsequent Observation and Observation Discharge
• Day Management

Telehealth Services, Requesting Comment

CMS is not currently proposing to add these services to the Medicare telehealth services list. They are, however, seeking comment on whether these services should be added. When considering the comments, CMS will assess whether there are increased concerns for patient safety if the services is delivered via telehealth, whether there are concerns about jeopardizing the quality of care if delivered via telehealth; and whether all elements of the service could be performed using telehealth.

• Initial nursing facility visits for all levels
• Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing
• Therapy Services, Physical and Occupational Therapy for all levels
• Initial hospital care and hospital discharge day management
• Initial and Subsequent Inpatient Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care
• Initial and Continuing Neonatal Intensive Care Services
• Critical Care Services
• End-Stage Renal Disease Monthly Capitation Payment
• Radiation Treatment Management Services
• Emergency Department Visits, Levels 4-5
• Domiciliary, Rest Home, or Custodial Care services, New
• Home Visits, New Patient for all levels  
• Initial and Subsequent Observation and Observation Discharge Day Management

To learn more about the services that will be covered, refer to the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule.

Additionally, an Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access was released, which may result in continued and increased access to telehealth services for the 57 million Americans living in rural communities. The order has launched reports on:

• A new payment model to ensure rural providers can provide quality care.
• Improvements to communications infrastructure in rural communities to ensure access to care.
• Review of existing and upcoming policy initiatives to eliminate regulatory burdens that limit the availability of providers; prevent disease through efforts to improve health outcomes; reduce maternal mortality and morbidity; and improve mental health.
• Review the expansion of telehealth and flexibilities for providers during the PHE to determine if they should become permanent.

Few would argue that we are living through an extraordinarily stressful time. But how many people consider the impact that stress has on our health?

Stress has been shown to have a direct correlation to health outcomes, and managing it is important for overall wellbeing. This is especially true for the six in ten Americans already managing a chronic medical condition. Whether they have heart disease, diabetes, cancer or another chronic condition, people with chronic conditions would benefit from stress-management strategies.

When you are under stress, your body responds by releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Those hormones are important to help your body properly respond to stressful situations. However, if the stress is not alleviated and the body’s remains under stress for a long duration of time, there can be negative effects on the body. 

• Weakened Immunity
• Weight Gain
• Sleep Problems
• Heart Disease
• Anxiety and Depression
• Digestive Problems

These negative effects can compound the impact of chronic disease, but there are steps that can be taken to help patients alleviate stress.  

Encourage Exercise

Aerobic exercise has been shown in numerous studies to reduce stress, and now a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that resistance training was also associated with a reduction in stress. 

Provide Referrals to Social Services

Economic Stability is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the social determinants of health. The pandemic has impacted employment, food security, and housing security. Referrals to social services and assistance programs can help members get the support they need and reduce the stress caused by a vulnerability in these areas. 

Suggest Safe Socialization

Relationships and interactions with friends and family are also recognized by the CDC as contributors to health. In a popular TED talk, the psychiatrist Robert Waldinger explains, “Social connections are really good for us, and loneliness kills. It turns out that people that are more socially connected to family, to friends, to the community are happier, physically healthier, and they live longer than people that are less well connected.” During this time of quarantines, lockdowns, and social distancing – when people with chronic conditions are at high risk for COVID-19 and are encouraged to be vigilant – it is important to help patients discover options for safe socialization. 

Meditation and Other Relaxation Techniques

Carnegie Mellon University conducted research that showed that 25 minutes of mindfulness meditation for three consecutive days resulted in stress reduction. With the increase in the popularity of meditation has come several free resources for beginners. Members can be directed to meditation apps like Insight Timer, podcasts, and YouTube videos to get started with a meditation practice. 

Remind Members About the Nurse Advice Line 

It can be stressful to have a health-related question and not know what to do, and that stress has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Remind members that they can always call the Nurse Advice line to get answers to their medical questions. 

Medicaid plays an important role in the treatment of chronic disease in the United States. One in five Americans gets their health care coverage through Medicaid.

 Let us take a look, by the numbers, at how Medicaid plays a role in three of the most prevalent chronic diseases.

Diabetes

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. 34.2 million US adults have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them do not know they have it.

• In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled.
• Medicaid covered 15% of all individuals with diagnosed diabetes in 2003.
• Approximately one in ten adult Medicaid enrollees has been diagnosed with diabetes.
• Among those diabetes patients covered by Medicaid, 97% reported that they had a usual source of care, versus less than four out of five of the uninsured.
• Over 20 percent of uninsured adults with diabetes reported that they had not had a check-up in the past two years.
• The uninsured with diabetes were more likely than Medicaid beneficiaries with these conditions to be unable to get necessary medical care (20% versus 7%).

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of death in the United States.

• 28% of adults with Medicaid coverage have a history of CVD.
• Treatment for cardiovascular-related conditions accounts for one out of every six dollars spent on health care in the U.S., more than any other illness.
• Medicaid programs can have a positive impact on CVD. According to a report published by the National Institutes of Health, coverage of tobacco cessation services in the Massachusetts Medicaid program led to a 46% reduction in hospitalizations for heart attacks and a 49% decrease in hospitalizations for other acute heart disease diagnoses among users of the benefit. Additionally, every $1 in program costs was associated with $3.12 in medical savings for cardiovascular conditions alone, for a $2.12 return on investment to the Medicaid program for every dollar spent.

Respiratory Disease

Chronic respiratory diseases include lung conditions in which a person’s airways are obstructed, constricted, or damaged, making it difficult to breathe. These conditions include illnesses such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These diseases are the third leading cause of death in the United States.

• Chronic respiratory diseases affect millions of Americans—over 17 million adults suffer from asthma, and 12 million have been diagnosed with COPD. People with low incomes are disproportionately impacted by respiratory diseases.
• Among low-income adults with respiratory disease, Medicaid members benefitted from more provider office visits (10.7 vs. 3.2) and filled more prescriptions (3.5 per month vs. 1.1 per month) than the uninsured.
• Medicaid beneficiaries with respiratory disease have greater access to care than the uninsured. Among those covered by Medicaid, nine in ten reported that they had a usual source of care, versus around six in ten of the uninsured.

Source:

Kaiser Family Foundation – https://www.kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/the-role-of-medicaid-for-adults-with-chronic-illnesses/

The Medicaid program plays a significant role in the treatment of diabetes, one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States. In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Statistics Report 2020, they provide the following statistics:

• 34.2 million Americans—just over 1 in 10—have diabetes.
• 88 million American adults—approximately 1 in 3—have prediabetes.
• Newly diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes have significantly increased among US youth.
• In 2017, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Diabetes has a huge impact on our nation’s health, and the impact is particularly felt in the Medicaid community. 

The costs associated with the treatment of diabetes is also significant. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, six percent of enrollees with diabetes accounted for 16 percent of total Medicaid spending. 

Greater Health Care Access

The American Diabetes Association reports that low-income Americans are more likely to be impacted by diabetes compared to the general population. Almost 3.5 million people with diabetes receive health care services through Medicaid. 

Researchers analyzed data from the first two years of Medicaid expansion to determine the impact increased access to health care had on individuals with diabetes. They published a report, Medicaid Eligibility Expansions May Address Gaps in Access to Diabetes Medications, where one of the researchers stated, “These patterns suggest that access to health insurance not only led to increases in timely treatment of diabetes, but it also allowed patients to receive more effective treatment.” 

Without access to Medicaid, many people with diabetes would be challenged to get a diagnosis and to get access to the health care necessary to manage their disease. Lack of health care access increases the risk of developing complications that would further impact health outcomes and increase the cost of care. 

Increased Diagnosis

Early diagnosis is key to getting patients appropriate treatment and preventing complications, and there is evidence that patients on Medicaid are more likely to get a diagnosis.

Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, published a report comparing diabetes diagnoses in states that had enacted Medicaid expansion versus states that had not. The findings showed a 23 percent increase in diagnoses in states that had expanded Medicaid services. This contrasted with a nominal increase in detection for states that did not expand Medicaid. 

Overall, Medicaid enrollees are 15 percent more likely to be tested for diabetes than someone who is uninsured. 

Improved Health Outcomes 

Diabetes Care also published a study of the self-reported statuses of diabetes patients in Medicaid expansion states versus non-expansion states. The study summarized:

“This analysis shows that the Medicaid expansion was associated with significant improvements in self-reported access to health care and self-reported diabetes management. In addition, the self-reported health status revealed a difference between expansion and non-expansion states in that the former presented better health status.”

The care management offered through Medicaid programs can help increase patient compliance and contribute to improved outcomes.

Chronic diseases account for an incredible 90% of the United States’ $3.5 trillion in annual health care costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The pandemic drove increased access to, and utilization of, telehealth, and preliminary analysis of the telehealth experience for both patients and providers has been positive. Considering the benefits telehealth has to offer, it has the potential to be a game-changer for patients managing chronic disease.

Increased Access

Access is a huge issue for patients who require ongoing care for their chronic conditions. The barriers to care can range from provider availability to mobility restrictions to transportation challenges. These challenges are particularly prevalent in rural communities. 

Can telehealth provide a solution for patients who experience a barrier to health care, like rural residents?

The report, The Impact of Coronavirus on Households in Rural America conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, states, “Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, more than four in ten rural households (46%) report using telehealth, where anyone in their household has received advice or treatment from a doctor or other health care professional over the phone or through a smartphone, tablet, or computer because they could not see one in person.”

By providing a solution to common barriers to care, telehealth has the potential to enable patients to get the consistent, ongoing care they need to manage their conditions.

Reducing Risk

Many chronic diseases are caused by a shortlist of lifestyle behaviors per the CDC. Those behaviors are:

• Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Poor nutrition, including diets low in fruits and vegetables and high in sodium and saturated fats.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Excessive alcohol use.

An increase in healthy lifestyle behaviors can result in a reduction of chronic disease. Telehealth enables providers to assess patients and provide counseling, referrals, and access to services to improve the behaviors that contribute to chronic disease. 

The ability of telehealth to have an impact in this area may be expanding. In June, the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act to support the expansion of telehealth services for substance use disorder treatment was introduced, providing yet another way that telehealth could improve health outcomes for those with chronic conditions.

Mitigating Emergency Department Utilization

Patients with chronic diseases account for 81% of all hospital admissions. 

An mHealth Intelligence article reported, “A telehealth program launched in 2016 to improve care management for patients with chronic conditions who aren’t in home health care has cut ER visits in half and reduced hospitalizations by almost 90 percent, according to hospital officials.”

While there were extenuating circumstances that contributed to the reduction in ER utilization during the pandemic, there were reports of the constructive use of telehealth for residents of long-term care facilities to reduce ER visits.

Time will tell what true and lasting benefits telehealth will offer, but if reports are consistent, it promises to be another avenue for providers to engage patients to help them manage their chronic conditions and to lead to better health outcomes.

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The year 2020 is almost over, and it is safe to say, there is a collective desire to put this year behind us. As we look to the future, what can we anticipate for Medicaid programs? Here are some trends to keep an eye on.

Enrollment Increases

The Affordable Care Act began allowing for voluntary Medicaid expansion to low-income adults in 2014. Since that time, 39 states (including the District of Columbia) have expanded the program. 

The expansion resulted in increases in enrollment until 2018, when enrollment rates began to decline. The decline in enrollment slowed in the beginning of 2020, but then, because of the pandemic, quickly reversed course. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports, between February 2020 and July 2020, enrollment increased by 4.3 million, or 6.1%. As the US continues to grapple with the pandemic and the economic impact, that trend may continue. 

Continued Reliance on Medicaid Managed Care

Transition to Medicaid Managed Care is expected to continue. According to the KFF: 

· Nationally, 69% of Medicaid beneficiaries are enrolled in a managed care plan.

· 40 states, including the District of Columbia, contract with managed care plans to deliver care.

· In FY 2019, payments to managed care accounted for about 46% of Medicaid spending.

The reach of managed care has the potential to grow as more states consider Medicaid expansion and states trend toward carving in services like behavioral health, pharmacy, dental, and long-term services, and support.

Demographic Changes

Long thought of as a program focused on women and children, the face of Medicaid is changing. 

· According to CMS reports, adults account for approximately 20% of new enrollments. 

· The elderly are projected to be the fastest-growing segment of the Medicaid population. 

Focus on Social Determinants of Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines the Social Determinants of Health as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

KFF reports 35 states to require managed care organizations to use strategies to address at least one of the social determinants of health. These requirements include:

· Screening enrollees for social needs.

· Providing referrals to social services.

· Partnering with community-based organizations.

· Employing community health workers.

We can predict that the emphasis on these areas will continue.

Advancements in Care Delivery

The pandemic quickly shifted how care is delivered, pushing the advancement of both digital solutions and telehealth. 

Digital

The health care industry has lagged other industries in its adoption of digital solutions and behind consumer demand. The Electronic Medical Record Adoption model found adoption rates of electronic medical records to be only about 35% in the United States. However, the McKinsey 2017 Consumer Health Insights Survey reported that 70% of consumers wanted digital solutions.

Telehealth

The increase in telehealth utilization has been widely reported, but the statistics continue to be impressive. TriHealth has seen an increase of 3,650% in telehealth utilization over the last six months. Telehealth is one of the biggest trends coming out of 2020 that will likely have an impact in the future.