West Health

Publications and Research

Filters

Price Markups for Clinical Labs: Employer‑based Insurance Pays Hospital Outpatient Departments 3X More Than Physician Offices and Independent Labs for Identical Tests

Posted

      West Health in collaboration with the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) conducted an analysis of the high prices that employer-based insurance pays hospital outpatient departments for clinical lab tests. We found that insurers are paying 3 times more for identical tests (such as simple blood and urine tests) when billed by hospital… Read more »

Home-based Acute Care: Getting Started Guide

Posted

The West Health Institute in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement developed the Home-based Acute Care Getting Started Guide as part of our 2019-2021 work. This resource guides the process for designing and implementing home-based clinical and operational acute care models for older adults. Created by and designed for organizations in the early stages… Read more »

Characteristics of Home-Based Care Provided by Accountable Care Organizations

Posted

By. Robert E. Mechanic, MBA; Jennifer Perloff, PhD; Amy R. Stuck, PhD, RN; and Christopher Crowley, PhD     OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of home-based services in accountable care organizations (ACOs). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of 2019 ACO survey. METHODS: We analyzed surveys completed by 151 ACOs describing the characteristics of home-based care programs… Read more »

The Burden of Prescription Drug Prices on Seniors

Posted

America’s seniors are increasingly finding it harder and harder to pay for prescription drugs. The 2021 Healthcare in America Report, published in December 2021, details the experiences and the impact these costs are having on seniors including skipping medications to save money or foregoing care all together.  Data Highlights More than 1 in 10 Americans… Read more »

Emergency Medical Technicians’ Perspectives on a Telehealth Facilitator Role to Expand Home-Based Primary Care: Pilot Study Results

Posted

A growing body of literature supports telehealth-enabled emergency medical services (EMS) personnel acting in expanded roles in the pre-hospital setting. While paramedic-based community programs have shown great promise, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), who make up a larger percentage of the total number of nationally certified EMS personnel and generally have fewer options for career growth,… Read more »