BEDFORD, MA--(Marketwired - Feb 16, 2016) - LogixHealth, a leading provider of internet and software enabled coding, billing, analytics and management services for hospital and physician practices nationwide, provides services for millions of Emergency Department (ED) visits across 35 states, and has analyzed the implications of the proposed 2017 budget for ED healthcare providers.
President Obama has released a 2017 budget providing funding of $82.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services. Important to emergency physicians, who are the nation's frontline safety net providers for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, the budget supports Medicaid expansion by providing additional funding so that any state that expands Medicaid eligibility will have three years of full federal funding, irrespective of when the state expands.
"A state's decision to expand Medicaid increases access to care for those who need it the most and strengthens the emergency care safety net" states Michael Granovsky, President of LogixHealth.
Additionally, the opioid abuse epidemic is being recognized with over $1 billion in funding for expanded treatment access. ED visits related to opioid overdoses are increasing at an alarming rate. Opioid overdoses now cause 78 deaths daily, and have quadrupled between 2002 and 2014.
Emergency preparedness and response is supported with $915 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Funding continues for the operation of the health insurance marketplaces, including those with high deductible health plans. Twenty-five percent of enrollees in employer-sponsored plans have high-deductibles, up from 4 percent a decade ago, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Importantly, the budget further advances reimbursement tied to alternative payment models with funding for numerous quality and value based programs, as well as supporting the expanded use of telehealth.
"The 2016 Physician Final Rule outlined a transition away from the SGR-driven conversion factor and ushered in an era with payments increasingly tied to cost and quality. The 2017 budget further reflects the administration's desire to control cost" states Eli Berg, LogixHealth's CEO.
About LogixHealth
LogixHealth, a leading provider of internet and software enabled coding, billing, analytics and management services for hospital and physician practices nationwide, provides services for millions of Emergency Department (ED) visits across over 35 states. We provide tools and resources to optimize financial performance and improve the quality of care. For more information, visit www.logixhealth.com.
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LogixHealth