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Technology

Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

Highmark: Insurers should embrace telemedicine

Pittsburgh-based Highmark recognizes the importance of technology. That's why the insurer decided to cover online visitis via Iagnosis, a telemdermatology solution, for 5.2 million of its members.  FierceHealthPayer  spoke with Donald R. Fischer, M.D., Highmark senior vice president and chief medical officer, about the insurer's deicision to cover this service, as well as some of the obstacles that may plague insurer's to follow in Highmark's footsteps.

Study: Payment models that curb costs may thwart coverage of new medical technologies

A new study by the Analysis Group examined the relationship between insurers' adoption of provider payment models to curb costs and approval of coverage for new items and services made possible by advances in medical technology.

5 complex care management methods to boost ACO success

​Accountable care organizations often involve high-need, high-cost patients, which can make for a very expensive and challenging program to manage. But a team of researchers has identified effective ACOs that successfully implement complex care management (CCM) interventions that insurers and providers can use to bolster their own programs, lower costs and improve care.

5 things to consider when planning ACOs

When insurers and providers create new accountable care organizations, there are certain considerations they should keep in mind to help guarantee the programs' success, according to a new blog post in  Health Affairs. To help insurers and providers implement critical features that often lead to successful ACOs, the Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Pacific Business Group on Health released a toolkit with some valuable lessons learned. We've rounded up several suggestions from the toolkit. 

Embracing healthcare change: Find your inner 4-year-old

The health insurance industry is in the midst of "cataclysmic change," and if health insurers aren't willing to adapt they won't be in business in 10 years, Medica's Vice President of Business Architecture & Strategy Kimberly Branson told FierceHealthPayer in an exclusive interview.

Why payers must embrace wearable tech

The proliferation of wearable technology, such as fitness bands that measure exercise level or heartbeat, provides the type of information health insurers need to drive better health outcomes among members and reduce their risks.

Consumers slow to adopt insurers' mobile apps

Although insurers continue to boost their mobile capabilities, consumers aren't readily adopting the new tools, according to a new survey from software company FICO, which found 65 percent of more than 2,000 consumers have never used their smartphone to manage or interact with their insurer.

Invest in IT to ensure post-reform change

The health insurance industry is evolving as insurers move toward more incentive-based payments and sell plans on the health insurance exchanges. But the progress is slow-moving because insurers are...

Cigna, Kaiser best at using IT to engage consumers

Cigna and Kaiser Permanente top the list when it comes to using technology to engage consumers, according to a new ranking from EveryMove.

Technology: Aetna's linchpin to ACO success

We already know Aetna has successfully implemented "a fundamentally different strategy in accountable care" by empowering providers. With that approach, providers say Aetna is more forward...