Back by popular demand! We know that the Direct Contracting program continues to change and adapt, including a new abbreviation: GDPC. We brought back our VillageMD expert on the Direct Contracting program, Lucy Sola, to walk us through these changes. This is helpful information for any provider or healthcare group who is thinking about participating in this new CMS program.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Medicare Advantage Enforcement is a focus area for the OIG this year. The OIG has already released four audits so far this year, and we have learned that the OIG audit can amount to a no good, very bad day for these Payors. In general, these audits provide insight into areas of OIG focus including: a) acute care codes b) codes that are diagnosed but not treated including or c) codes that are otherwise not supported by the record. We did the hard work to sort through these audits. Tune in for a concise update, quick tips, and lessons learned.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to the podcast to sharon@villagemd.com and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your family, friends, and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or all podcast platforms. You can view our references and show notes on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/MA-OIG-Coding-Audits-one-pager-1.pdf

Simply stated, attribution is the process to assign patients to providers in a population health environment.   But the process is far more complicated and varies widely in different settings. Luckily we have two experts at VillageMD that can help explain what this means and how attribution works. Our guests this week include Steve Valdiserri, VillageMD's VP of Value Attribution and Mason Budelier, VillageMD's Associate General Counsel.  This episode is a must listen for the primary care workforce!Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties!If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your family, friends, and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or all podcast platforms. You can view our references and show notes on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Data, data, data! The data revolution has (finally) come to healthcare! Filing cabinets and paper charts are signs of a bygone era. We’re thrilled to welcome Modern Healthcare's Michael Brady to share his insights on the effectiveness and impact of Big Data initiatives, including price transparency.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

Join us this week as we dive into the Landscape of Healthcare Enforcement in 2021 with two very special guests.I am thrilled to welcome Linda Wawzenski, Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and Lisa Noller, former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago and current Chair of the Government Enforcement Defense Investigations at Foley & Lardner, LLP. Linda primarily supervises civil fraud work especially healthcare fraud.  I asked Linda and Lisa about what to expect from Healthcare Enforcement in 2021 and I’m so glad I did! They shared so many interesting stories that illuminate a picture of a promising year ahead for the healthcare industry. These stories include: How the Department of Justice (DOJ) is using data and analytics for enforcement, the focus on abuse of COVID funds and waivers, and what to expect in the Biden administration.To our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties, thank you for your time and attention. We are truly grateful for your support! Send us an action shot of you or your team listening to the podcast and you will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win limited edition Working Smarter merchandise. Not only can you work smarter, but you’ll look great doing so! Send all entries to sharon@villagemd.com.Don’t forget to click the follow/subscribe button to get regular updates when we release episodes. We’d also like your help in spreading the Working Smarter lifestyle - share this episode with your friends, colleagues and loved ones. We are now available on multiple platforms including Apple, Spotify, and any other place you get your podcasts, so buckle up and get ready to Work Smarter.Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you're confused about the various CMS Quality Programs and their corresponding ratings, you are not alone! On this episode, we decided to ask an expert: Joanna Losier, Director of Quality at VillageMD. Joanna shares the 2021 quality payment criteria for physicians and ACOs, and explains how these work with the Medicare Advantage Plan quality programs. This is an essential guide to any physician practicing in primary care! Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

We are honored to be joined this week by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel for a discussion around the evolving healthcare policy landscape. On this episode, he shares his experience to help craft the Affordable Care Act (ACA), how it has changed over time, and what to expect in the next few years. Join us as Dr. Emanuel predicts healthcare priorities under the Biden administration, gets candid on his regrets during the Obama administration, and relays his conversations with Trump about stalling the ACA repeal.About our guest: Dr. Emanuel is an expert on the ACA and innovative valued-based care programs. He served as a healthcare reform advisor during President Obama's administration. He is the author of several must-read books for the primary care workforce including "Prescription for the Future" and "Reinventing American Healthcare". He also serves as a board member for VillageMD.We have a special giveaway! Share our episode on social medial for a chance to win a copy of Dr. Emanuel's book. We will be choosing five lucky winners!

Heads up! A new rule effective January 2021 takes hospital price transparency to the next level! If enforced, it will open up a new source on hospital charges, and will shed light on some of the most closely held pricing information in healthcare. In this episode, we give a summary of what you can expect to see over the next 1-3 years. We also used our best detective skills to see how some hospitals are adapting to these rules.  Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch. If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

On this episode of Around the Village, we are highlighting an intern from our VillageMD internship program. Zach Hattig is currently an pre-med undergraduate student at Northwestern University. During his time with VillageMD, he concentrated on a research project with our clinical team. He was identified as an exceptional intern through the program, we are talking with him about his experience, and what he learned throughout his time with us. If you are interested in future VillageMD internship opportunities, listen to the end of the podcast for more details! Or you can email our team at talent@villagemd.com.Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/

If you think Usain Bolt is fast, you should see how fast the federal government (especially CMS) have been pushing out regulatory changes! Our team has been keeping up with this “Regulatory Sprint", and we condensed the most significant  changes into a manageable summary. In this episode, we provide you a recap of these changes, and discuss what we are expecting to see from the new Biden administration. If you liked this summary, stay tuned for our deep dive episodes that we will be releasing throughout this year. Thank you to all of our loyal listeners, or as we call them, Smarties! Send us a picture of you listening to sharon@villagemd.com, and you will be entered for a chance to win Working Smarter merch.   If you enjoy the podcast, we want your help in spreading the word! Share this episode with your friends and colleagues. We are now available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Our references and other show notes are on our website: https://vmdworkingsmarter.com/conversations/