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Raising Awareness and Asking Questions About Health Care Costs
By Ana English, CIVHC President and CEO
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Pop quiz: When it comes to health care, what's the difference between cost, charge, and payment?
This question opened a recent article I read regarding medical schools teaching new doctors to talk to patients about price. Knowing the nuances between the definitions of cost, charge and payment isn't something most consumers understand, nor do they really have to. I believe simply raising awareness that there can be a big difference in what you (or your insurance company on your behalf) might pay for health care depending on where you go and treatment options you choose is just as important. Training doctors to understand the potential financial impact of their recommendations and having those conversations with their patients is an important step in the right direction in raising awareness of price transparency.
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Spotlight on Innovation: Aurora's Underserved and Anschutz's Hopefuls Come Together at DAWN Clinic
By Stephanie Spriggs, CIVHC Grant Writer and Report Specialist
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University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus is a dominating feature of the landscape in North Aurora. The world-class facility, providing world-class care, is surrounded by one of the most economically depressed communities in the state. Using the resources of the Anschutz Campus, the newly-opened DAWN Clinic is working to combat the disparity in health care for the area's vulnerable citizens.
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CO APCD Data in Action: Assisting Family Planning Centers with Setting Rates
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Most family planning clinics are publicly funded and support a high-need, underserved population. The services they provide play an important role in prevention of unplanned pregnancies which often translates into overall health care cost savings. Good data can help clinics set appropriate rates for their services and help them secure more sustainable revenue streams through Medicaid and private insurance.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) used CO APCD data to analyze Medicaid allowable paid amounts for codes commonly associated with reproductive health visits. This data provided a point of reference for family planning clinics to negotiate contracts with private insurers and ensure that their sliding fee scales were in line with the market value of the services. Additionally, it allows the clinics to project future revenue and budget accordingly.
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Cultivating the Network of Care Learning Series: Webinar and Symposium
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Join Healthy Transitions Colorado on Friday, October 2nd for a free webinar featuring the Colorado Network of Health Alliances discussing how working together to improves community health.
Friday, October 16th is the second symposium in the Learning Series: Nurturing Community Collaboration. Learn how to enhance the network of care through communication with community partners throughout the care continuum.
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The Colorado Trust Grants $900,000 to CIVHC for All Payer Claims Database
|  The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to creating fair and equal opportunities for Coloradans to lead healthy lives, today announced it has made a three-year, $900,000 grant to the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), to aid the organization with enhancements to the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD).
CIVHC will use the funding to expand the number of covered lives represented in the CO APCD and build tools to support organizations seeking to make a positive impact on health care quality and costs. Specific projects include collecting self-insured employer data (the largest remaining segment of the insured market not currently represented), integrating behavioral health and physical health claims to support providers with improvement initiatives, and creating an online analytic platform for organizations seeking to improve care and lower costs.
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