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The fight to put the consumer first in healthcare remains as many Americans feel the industry is still putting the mighty dollar ahead of patients.

 show 82% of Americans believe the U.S. healthcare system puts profits ahead of people, and 72% believe healthcare groups are not doing a good job caring for folks as they age.

The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI ) nationwide survey was conducted as online survey in early September to investigate American views on the U.S. healthcare system, aging, and end-of-life care.

Data was collected from 2,009 survey respondents 35 and older.

81% Have never had a conversation with a healthcare provider about their wishes for end-of-life care.

89% Are equally or more comfortable talking about death than average.

75% Say Medicare should cover end-of-life discussions.

31% Trust the U.S. healthcare system as a whole.

77% Know a little or a lot about hospice.

Respondents in the survey increasingly see the coming Age Wave in the U.S. as a major problem - 76% say the growing number of older people in the U.S. is a problem, up from 58%.

Carole Fisher, NPHI president, said "the survey data reinforces the critical role that our member organizations provide in the communities they serve. They are guided by empathic and compassionate individuals who make critical decisions at the bedside and not the boardroom."

The survey findings indicate that Americans are uncertain about care options as they age and are reluctant to discuss their personal needs with a healthcare system they do not generally trust, Since late in life care is provided without regard for profit, NPHI members can help ease these concerns, according to an NPHI survey.

NPHI's CEO, Tom Koutsoumpas, said the organization's members are the ultimate safety net for many communities and especially those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

"We welcome patients and their families by providing the highest quality care, mostly in their homes, regardless of race, citizenship status, or ability to pay," Koutsoumpas. "We believe no one living in America should be alone in the hospital at the end of their life but rather wherever they live surrounded by family and close friends."

Articles

Many Americans Feel US Healthcare Puts Profit Over Patients

Today, more Americans have health insurance since the the Affordable Care Act began, however, cost remains an obstacle for many when it comes to getting the care they need.

It was recently discovered that 41% of Americans with health insurance have avoided medical care because they knew or feared it wouldn't be covered by their insurance, according to the annual 

. This is true even among insured Americans whose annual income is $80,000 or more, with 37% saying they avoided care because of cost concerns.

"Health has been on the forefront of everyone's minds with the pandemic, and it's disheartening that people are avoiding care and unaware of what they can get through their insurance, like free COVID-19 tests," Myles Ma, healthcare expert at Policygenius, said in a release. 

In some cases, Americans are adjusting their prescriptions to cut costs — 32% of Americans with health insurance said the cost of a prescription has prevented them from taking the full dose of the medication. This was the case even among people who said they get "good financial value" for what they pay for health insurance, with 27% saying the price tag has kept them from taking the full dose of a prescription.

Though,even with these challenges, more than half (57%) of insured Americans at least somewhat agree with the statement "I get good financial value from what I pay for health insurance." How much they agree depends on their coverage, with 61% of those with Medicare or Medicaid at least somewhat agree, compared to 52% with group plans and 47% with individual plans from a state or federal marketplace.

"The variance in value could be based on who is taking on the largest part of the cost for these plans and it makes sense that people feel they get better financial value from heavily subsidized plans," Ma said. "No matter where you get your plan, make sure you know what it includes so you can use every benefit available to you, from preventive care, like vaccines or COVID tests, to extra perks like mental health apps, gym discounts, or health savings accounts. This way, you're not only getting the maximum value out of your plan, but helping your physical and financial well being."

Among insured Americans who have seen a mental health provider, almost half (47%) have had a provider decline to take their insurance.

Only 8% of insured Americans are aware you can use the money in a health savings account to invest in the stock market.

There's still general confusion on basic health insurance terms, with only 65% of insured people able to correctly define "deductible" (the amount you pay for health care before your insurance starts to pay).

Thirty-seven percent of insured Americans whose annual income is $80,000 or more even said they avoided care because of cost concerns.

41% of Americans With Insurance Avoided Medical Care For Fear it Wouldn't Cover Costs

Funding for digital health is decreasing back to its lowest levels since 2019. Market adjustments and inflation and interest rates may be to thank.

COVID-19 brought telehealth its biggest break in 2020 when healthcare and much of the world operated and delivered care virtually. At an average of $5.4 billion in funding in 2019, telehealth's worth skyrocketed to its highest of $16.8 billion 2021, being one of the biggest demands in healthcare. 

This year, funding fell from $10.5 billion in the first quarter down to the lowest funding has been at $4.6 billion today, according to a report from HealthcareDive.

The decrease in funding is severe for clinical trials tech, telehealth and health IT, though telehealth and health IT continue to see some of the highest funding amounts overall.

 said this year's total telehealth funding is projected to be less than half of what the sector brought in during 2021.

Spending Spree on Telehealth Is Winding Down

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Clinical Trials Market is projected to reach $4.8 billion by 2027, according to a 

The growth of this market is driven by the growing need to control development costs and reduce time involved in drug development, increasing adoption of AI based platform to improve productivity and efficiency of clinical trials. On the other hand, a lack of data sets in the field of clinical trials and the inadequate availability of skilled labour are some of the factors challenging the growth of the market.

"Services segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period," says a passage based on the study.

Based on offering, the AI in clinical trials market is segmented into software and services. In 2021, the services segment accounted for the largest market share of the global AI in clinical trials services market and also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The benefits associated with AI services and the strong demand for AI services among end users are the key factors driving the growth of this market segment.

Authors of the passage say the machine-learning technology segment accounted for the largest share of global AI in clinical trials market.

Based on technology, the AI in clinical trials market is segmented into machine learning and other technologies. The machine-learning segment accounted for the largest share of the global market in 2021 and expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The machine-learning technology segment further segmented into deep learning, supervised learning, and other machine learning technologies. The deep-learning segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2021, and this segment also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The oncology application segment accounted for the largest share of the AI in clinical trials market in 2021, authors said.

On the basis of application, the AI in clinical trials market is segmented into neurological diseases and condition, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, infectious disease, immunology diseases, and other applications. The oncology segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2021, owing to the increasing demand for effective cancer drugs and a large number of drug trials in the field of oncology is contributing to the adoption of AI-enabled technologies in this application area. 

Also, many players are developing and adopting oncology-based AI tools for clinical trials.The infectious diseases segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the increasing number of clinical trails for vaccine and drugs for Covid-19 and other infectious disease and rising investment in R&D for infectious diseases.

For end user, the AI in clinical trials market is segmented into pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, CROs, and other end users. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest market share of AI in clinical trials market, in 2021. Factors such as increasing adoption of AI enabled technologies to improve productivity and efficiency of clinical trials. Furthermore, growing cross industry collaborations and partnership for leverging the AI solution for R&D and the overall development process. Hence, driving the growth among this end user segment.

"North America is expected to dominate the AI in clinical trials market in 2022," the report claims.

North America accounted for the largest share of the global AI in clinical trials market in 2021 and also expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. North America, which comprises the U.S., and Canada forms the largest market for AI in clinical trials. These countries have been early adopters of AI technology in clinical trials and development. Presence of key established players, well-established pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and high focus on R&D & substantial investment are some of the key factors responsible for the large share and high growth rate of this market.

AI in Clinical Trials Market Could be Worth $4.8 billion by 2027

Health insurance companies are overpaying for some common radiology services, leading to higher costs for patients and providers, according information shared from a study by Michigan State University (MSU).

, researchers found that the maximum negotiated price for shoppable radiology services, on average, was 3.8 times the minimum negotiated price in the same hospital among various insurance companies and 1.2 times the minimum negotiated price in the same hospital among the same insurance company’s multiple health plans.

“Many commercial plans are leaving money on the table when negotiating prices with hospitals, especially for expensive CT and MRI scans,” said study co-author 

 and current professor of accounting, and health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University, in a release. “High prices paid by commercial plans eventually come back to bite patients and providers through high premiums and out-of-pocket costs.” 

The study found that the multiple insurance plans in contract with hospitals negotiated different prices for the same services within the same hospital, and even negotiated different prices across their own various health plans.

Researchers studied commercial negotiated prices from private payers for the 13 radiology services. Services that require high-cost equipment like a CT scanner and MRI, had more wide cost variations and higher prices relative to Medicare when compared to other radiology services, according to the information shared.

Out of the reviewed services, brain CT scans had the greatest price gap, in which 25% of hospital-insurance company pairs had set their maximum negotiated price at more than 2.4 times their minumum price.

Bai said, because of the Price Transparency Rule disclosing U.S. hospital pricing information, it "took the blindfold off the eyes of commercial payers, forcing them to recognize the fact that they are often paying too much."

“Equipped with pricing information, radiologists can change the landscape of care delivery to benefit patients and payers.”

Patients and providers are having to pay more toward their health plans due to these common radiology services charging more than needed. 


Many Health Insurance Companies Are Being Overcharged for Some Radiology Services

Chester Good of UPMC Health Plan gets in depth on value-based contracts and shares the results of the 2019 contract between UPMC and AstraZeneca for Brilinta.

He claimed that value-based contracts "still are the exception and not the rule."

The number of value-vased contracts any payer or health organization has is small rather than the number of durgs they provide. They aren't the answer to controlling drug costs but it's part of the answer.

It remains a niche or exception because they are a lot of work and require much time and thought. This is a big reason you don't see many contracts in the industry.

Videos

Chester "Bernie" Good, senior medical director for the Center for Value Based Pharmacy Initiatives at UPMC Health Plan, gets in depth on value-based contracts and shares the results of the 2019 contract between UPMC and AstraZeneca for Brilinta. Good addressed value-based contracts last week at AMCP Nexus 2022 conference in National Harbor, Maryland.