Improving the Patient Experience and Reducing Medicaid Losses: A Shared Goal?

Improving the Patient Experience and Reducing Medicaid Losses: A Shared Goal?

The healthcare industry is no stranger to challenges, but two recent articles highlight the different ways in which healthcare providers are striving to overcome them. The first article discusses how hospitals are working to improve the patient experience. Hospitals are now required to administer standardized national surveys known as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) to measure how well they serve patients. The results are posted on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Care Compare website, and hospitals are rewarded based on their performance. To boost their scores, hospitals are now hiring chefs, overhauling menus, and steering away from processed foods. The question remains, however, who is paying for these changes?

On the other hand, the second article is about hundreds of thousands of people losing Medicaid coverage due to administrative hurdles. States that have begun eligibility redeterminations are culling the program's rolls, and in Arkansas, Florida, and Indiana, more than 80% of those losing benefits are being removed from the program for administrative reasons, such as not having current contact information on file. To solve this problem, there is an opportunity for healthcare providers to contract with the big five (UNH, Humana, CNC, CVS, and ELV) to help streamline the administrative process.

Despite their different topics, these two articles have a common thread: they both highlight the need for healthcare providers to be proactive in addressing challenges. Improving the patient experience is not only necessary for financial and reputational reasons, but it is also a way to ensure that patients receive the best care possible. Similarly, reducing Medicaid losses is essential to ensure that those who need healthcare the most can receive it. By working together with other healthcare providers and government agencies, healthcare providers can overcome these challenges and provide better care to patients.

In conclusion, healthcare providers must be willing to take steps to address the challenges that they face. Improving the patient experience and reducing Medicaid losses are two such challenges, but they are also opportunities for healthcare providers to work together and make positive changes. By doing so, they can ensure that they provide the best possible care to patients, regardless of their financial situation or other barriers to care.