What We're Watching: August 6, 2019

OUTER LIMITS

A Google company announced that it’s artificial-intelligence unit has created a technology to warn doctors if their patients are at risk of developing severe kidney damage up to two days before an injury takes hold. Meanwhile, an article in the Governance Institute reviews how predictive medical care models improve patient experience and outcomes.

What we’re saying: These moves and industry discussions point to how precision medicine will be indispensable for health systems and other providers to manage value-based (risk-based) contracts for the care of populations of people over time. As we announced last week, Premier is working with Progknowse, Inc. and several health systems to make precision medicine accessible to more patients.

8 DRUGS, <8 MONTHS

Three health system CEOs published an opinion piece in STAT last week discussing drug shortages, as well as their work to come together and find new solutions to better nourish the drug manufacturing market and bring it back to life.

What we’re saying: We’re working closely with these health systems, both as Premier members and as supporters of ProvideGx, to create more stability in the pharmaceutical manufacturing market. Doing so encourages new entrants to step in and provide more competition and more options for providers in order to address the drug shortage problem in a more sustainable manner. We’ve brought 8 drugs on the shortage list to the market in less than 8 months.

WE OPPOSE

CMS released the proposed Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule. The rule would increase hospital outpatient spending by 2.7% over CY19.

What we’re saying: Upon on the rule’s release, Premier communicated its opposition to the posting of negotiated rates, site neutral payments and continuation of the 340B cuts. Premier will be holding educational webinars on the rule in the coming weeks.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Statement on the 39 Attorney Generals’ Letter to Congressional Leadership Urging Removal of Federal Barriers to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
• Progknowse Announces Partnerships with Three Health Systems
• How Our Health Systems Are Working to Prevent Hospital Drug Shortages
• Premier Inc. and Texas Health Resources Partner to Scale Innovation in Healthcare Cost Management
• Premier Statement on the CMS Pilot to Make Claims Data Available to Clinicians
• Premier Statement on the CY 2020 OPPS Proposed Rule
• Five Ways Bundled Payments are Driving Innovations in Care Delivery

What We’re Watching is a weekly blog focused on the current events Premier is following and their relevance to the work of Premier and its members. Check out last week's update.