WELCOME NEW MEMBER!

Dana Voien is President and CEO of SleepSafe Drivers, Inc., (SSD), which provides comprehensive “Fatigue Management Programs,” including “Sleep Testing to Treatment” for Risk-Sensitive Jobs Categories, to fleet customers, such as Walmart and J.B. Hunt, greatly reducing accident rates and medical expenses. Since 2007, SSD has offered innovative ways to address sleep apnea testing and treatment that have been developed specifically for the transportation, logistics, and supply chain industries, and other safety-sensitive businesses. The national program allows for confidential diagnosis and treatment for sleep apnea in a private, convenient, timely and cost-effective manner. Prior to joining SSD in 2007, Dana was the GM/EVP of Diagnostics and Occ-Health at ResMed; VP Sales, Heart Valves & Perfusion at Edwards Lifesciences; and GM, Surgical & IV, Japan, at Baxter Healthcare. A returning ABL Member, Dana has re-joined the Orange County Round Table.

Mimi Grant’s Blog Post:  In the Arena: North Carolina’s Health Cost Reform

Just last year we were bemoaning America’s $3.5 Trillion health system. Well, according to the latest analysis from the U.S. federal actuaries, we were off by $.15 Trillion, because Americans spent $3.65 Trillion in 2018; that’s $150 Billion more than the prior estimate. And, by the way, $3.65 Trillion is larger than the gross domestic products of all the countries in the world except the US, China, Japan, and Germany. That means we’re spending more on healthcare here than the United Kingdom and India spend on everything.

So while the U.S. is frequently compared to other countries for the quality or cost of our healthcare system – and not faring too well on either dimension, just this week WalletHub released their analysis of “2019’s Best & Worst States for Health Care,” where Americans receive the best and worst healthcare – comparing the 50 states and DC – across 43 measures of cost, accessibility and outcome. Across their 43 “CAO” metrics, a perfect score of 100 would represent the best healthcare at the most reasonable cost. As a benchmark, Minnesota led the nation with the #1 overall rank – a total score of 63.79, a “Cost” rank of 2, an “Access” rank of 4, and an “Outcomes” rank of 9. California was in the lower half at #30, with a total score of 51.19, cost rank of 39, access rank of 42, and outcomes rank of 20. Then along comes North Carolina, which overall ranked #50, with a score of 42.63, a cost rank of 50, an access rank of 50, and an outcomes rank of 33. Obviously, North Carolina’s healthcare system has problems . . . CLICK TO READ REST OF BLOG

UPCOMING ABL HEALTHCARE ROUND TABLES

• • • • 8/07 – Orange County Round Table
      • 8/08 – East Bay Round Table
      • 8/13 – Silicon Valley Round Table
      • 8/14 – San Francisco Round Table
      • 8/16 – Los Angeles Round Table

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY NEWS & TRENDS

GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE NEWS

• • • • Expanded Transparency in Proposed Rule Meets Trade Association Backlash
      • Administration Weighs Allowing Drug Imports for Cheaper Prescriptions
      • CMS Proposes Adding Total Knee Replacements to ASC-Covered Procedures List, Increases Payment Rates
      • Proposed Rule Would Increase Medicare Reimbursements to Home Health Agencies
      • President Issues Executive Order Aimed at Kidney Health
      • Move to Shift Patients’ Chronic Illness Costs to Insurers
      • California Cites AmerisourceBergen for Failing to Flag Huge Sales of Opioids to Pharmacies

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION NEWS

• • • • John Muir Launches “Comprehensive Relationship” with Optum
      • CVS Health’s New Platform Connects At-Risk Aetna Plan Members to Social Services
      • Rite Aid Launches In-Store Telehealth Kiosks
      • Amazon Alexa to Provide Access to NHS-Verified Health Information
      • Phreesia’s Strong Opening Sets Tone for Upcoming Digital Health IPOs
      • Soom Launches App to Alert Patients, Providers to Medical Device Recalls

TRENDS IN MEDICINE & TREATMENTS

• • • • Company Describes AI Pathology Technology with Clinical-Grade Accuracy
      • How Drug Companies Are Using Your DNA to Make New Medicine
      • Implanted Drug Could Someday Prevent HIV Infection
      • Google’s SMILY Is Reverse Image Search for Cancer Diagnosis
      • Flaws in Hospital Anesthesia & Respiratory Devices Allow Remote Tampering

PERSONAL HEALTH

• • • • U.S. Adults Sit for 6.4 Hours a Day, Study Finds
      • Study: Fewer Health Events in 4 Years Following a 12-Week Behavior-Change Program

Click Here to Read All of These News Items & More or Click on Specific Headlines Above to Read Specific Articles