Our monthly roundup of surveys and reports from around the industry. We found interesting information that continues to give a glimpse into where we are going in healthcare. This month from cybersecurity to telehealth, and as usual the COVID impact.
Moving from New York to Florida? Here’s What to Expect Health-Wise
Americans are flocking to Sunbelt states, and COVID-19 only accelerated the trend. Over 33,000 New Yorkers traded their drivers licenses for Florida cards between September 2020 and March 2021, according to new data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That’s a 32% increase from the same period the prior year. What kind of heathcare are these Empire Staters leaving behind, and what can they expect from the Sunshine State? HealthCareInsider (@HealthCareInc) compared New York and Florida’s healthcare systems across 28 metrics, covering quality, access, providers and cost. We found some striking similarities along with some marked differences.
Avoidable COVID Hospitalization Total Over $2B Since July
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker August Report – While real-time data on the cost of all COVID-19 hospitalizations are not publicly available, various sources point to an average hospitalization cost of around $20,000. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that Medicare fee-for-service COVID-19 hospitalizations average $24,033. Another study of Medicare fee-for-service enrollees found an average COVID-19 hospitalization cost $21,752. A FAIR Health analysis of private claims data including employer and private Medicare Advantage plans found that COVID-19 hospitalization costs ranged from $17,094 for people over age 70 to $24,012 for people in their 50s. Similarly, our analysis of pre-pandemic private insurance claims for pneumonia hospitalizations with complications averaged $20,292 (though the cost for hospitalizations requiring a ventilator are much higher).
FDB Pharmacist-Led Research Sheds New Light on FDA Pharmacogenetics Prescribing Data
FDB (@FDB_US) announced the results of a study by FDB pharmacists named “Characterization of Pharmacogenetic Information in Food and Drug Administration Drug Labeling and the Table of Pharmacogenetic Associations,” that sheds new light on information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on how patients’ genes affect their response to prescribed medications. Pharmacogenetics, defined as the use of genetic information to guide prescribing decisions, has rapidly expanded in recent years due to the increased availability and affordability of genetic testing and associated research.
Perspectives in Healthcare Security Report: Cybersecurity Reality in Hospitals Not Aligned with Perception
CyberMDX (@CyberMDX), a cyber security provider dedicated to protecting IoT and medical devices for health delivery worldwide, announced the release of the Perspectives in Healthcare Security Report. The report, done in collaboration with Philips, examines attitudes, concerns, and impacts on medical device security as well as cybersecurity across large and midsize healthcare delivery organizations. Insights include how they correlate and diverge.
FairHealth Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
After a month of stability, national telehealth utilization declined in June 2021, according to FAIR Health’s (@FAIRHealth) Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. Telehealth utilization, measured as a percentage of all medical claim lines, fell 10 percent nationally from May to June 2021, decreasing from 5 percent of medical claim lines in May to 4.5 percent in June. By comparison, telehealth utilization rose 2 percent nationally from April to May 2021, following decreases each month from February to April. The data represent the privately insured population, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service and Medicaid.