Vermont’s population of primary care doctors is declining
Vermont continues to lose its primary care doctors — but the rate of loss is slowing, a new survey from the state’s Department of Health shows.
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A billing code was supposed to incentivize relationship-based primary care for Medicare patients. It may not be working as hoped
Research shows that the code may not live up to its hype.
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Illinois medical group reports insurers increasing downcoding ahead of new state law
The Illinois State Medical Society said on Aug. 28 that it is receiving reports of health insurers accelerating downcoding activities in advance of a new state law set to take effect in 2028. The Transparency in Downcoding Act, signed into law after unanimous passage by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, will prohibit certain insurer practices related to claim downcoding starting Jan. 1, 2028.
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OPINION: Amid a physician shortage, we’re making medical school harder to afford
Americans already wait weeks — and in some communities, months — to see a physician. At the very moment our nation needs more doctors, federal policy may be making it more difficult for talented young people to become one.
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Longjohn, Fellow Legislators Unveil Bipartisan Plan to Transform Primary Care in Michigan
State Rep. Dr. Matt Longjohn (D-Portage) and legislative and healthcare partners held a press conference today announcing the Primary Care Transformation Package. The bipartisan eight-bill package is designed to increase investments in primary care, expand access and build the healthcare workforce Michigan communities need. The policies respond and provide solutions to persistent gaps in primary care access across Michigan, with shortages spanning 75 of the state’s 83 counties and nearly one in three Michiganders lacking regular access to primary care.
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Georgia’s physician shortage is at crisis level, partially because of academic institutions
We have a physician shortage in every state. With 2.7 million Georgia residents in “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas,” only 12 states have a worse primary care problem, according to data on the Kaiser Family Foundation website.
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Michigan lawmakers put forth bills to boost primary care availability amid shortages
A new effort in the Michigan House seeks to bring more doctors to the state and put them in areas they’re needed most, amid a growing primary care shortage.
According to MiDOCS, there is a primary care shortage in 74 of Michigan’s 83 counties, with nearly one in three people lacking regular access, particularly in rural areas.
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Blue Cross Illinois Downcoding Squeezes Pediatricians, Therapists as Patients Pay More
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has been paying some therapists, pediatricians and other clinicians less money for the same services they’ve always billed, after quietly changing how it evaluates medical claims starting July 1. Doctors and mental health advocates across the state say the shift, known as downcoding, is already straining practices and could push some providers out of the insurer’s network altogether.
Mathematica selected to advance learning and improvement across CMS models
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected Deloitte and Mathematica to jointly support Learning Insights for Action (LIA), a new four-year project for the CMS Innovation Center.
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Novant introduces new primary care offerings in two states
Novant Health is now partnering with K Health to expand its primary care offerings, hospital officials said.
The new offerings will incorporate AI capabilities into enhanced virtual care experience, according to a Novant news release. The new offerings will include 24/7 access to patients across North Carolina and South Carolina.
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