Google Unveils Artificial Intelligence Dermatology Tool; Next-Gen ACO Model Set to End

May 25, 2021 - Happy Tuesday. With the weekend comes Memorial Day and the relaxation of many COVID-19 restrictions.

Google Set to Bring Artificial Intelligence to Dermatology

Google debuted a dermatology tool powered by artificial intelligence that will help users understand issues with their skin, hair, and nails at its annual I/O developer conference on May 18. The tool uses many of the same techniques that detect diabetic eye disease or lung cancer in CT scans to help consumers identify dermatologic issues using their phone’s camera.

Once users launch the tool, they can use their phone’s camera to take three pictures of their hair, skin, or nail concern from different angles. The app then asks questions about the user’s skin type, how long they’ve had the issue, and other symptoms that will help the tool determine the possible cause.

The AI algorithm analyzes this information and draws from its knowledge of 288 conditions to give users a list of possible conditions that they can then research further. READ MORE

No Extension for Next Generation ACO Model

The Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model will come to an end on Dec. 31, 2021, as planned after CMS found no net savings to Medicare during the model’s run.

An email to model participants obtained by RevCycleIntelligence stated that CMS doesn’t expect to “extend or expand” the model since the model has a “net-spending increase of $117.5 Million and no net savings for CMS.

Although, the Next Generation ACO Model team did acknowledge in the email that participating ACOs have reduced gross beneficiary spending, maintained quality of care, and developed strategies for implementing benefit enhancements and engagement incentives all while paving the way for high-risk alternative payment models.

The news comes as a blow to Next Generation ACOs and other industry groups who have been calling on the Biden administration to extend the risk-heavy ACO model beyond 2021. READ MORE

Thermo Fisher, UCSF Form Alliance for Cell-Based Therapies

Thermo Fisher Scientific and the University of California (UCSF) recently formed a strategic alliance to accelerate the development and manufacturing of cell-based therapies.

Under the terms of the agreement, Thermo Fisher Scientific will build and operate a 44,000-square-foot cell therapy development, manufacturing, and collaboration center on UCSF’s Mission Bay campus.

The center will include biomedical facilities and hospitals, as well as clinical and commercial cGMP cell therapy manufacturing services and associated technology development support to UCSF and other partners.

The facility will also serve as a central location where customers and UCSF researchers can access Thermo Fisher Scientific’s broad portfolio of Cell Therapy Systems reagents, consumables, and fit-for-purpose instrumentation and compliant software. READ MORE

Senate Bill Looks to Ease Patient Financial Burden  

The Telehealth Expansion Act of 2021 would exempt telehealth visits from meeting deductible requirements in high-deductible health plans, allowing patients more freedom to use virtual care.

Introduced last week by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the bill targets a very specific barrier, particularly in underserved populations. People are often reluctant to access healthcare for anything other than an emergency because of the challenges of paying for high deductibles. And with COVID-19 affecting everyone’s budget, those costs are even more daunting.

By eliminating the pressure of meeting a deductible, the bill would make it easier for patients to use telehealth for a wide variety of services, including rehab and therapy, behavioral health, health and wellness and chronic care management. READ MORE

Nearly 400 Healthcare Orgs Support Smartphone Patient Data Access

More than 385 healthcare organizations have officially signed onto CommonHealth, the patient data access app that connects Android smartphone users to their EHR data, the organization recently announced.

Mass General Brigham, ChristianaCare, and the University of California San Diego are among the leading organizations to have adopted CommonHealth and made it available to patients.

CommonHealth, developed by The Commons Project, is a free Android app that lets users aggregate all of their medical information in one singular location, akin to a personal health record. Participating healthcare organizations allow patients to download their EHRs onto CommonHealth. READ MORE

Independent Panel Recommends New Guidance for Screenings

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has made a few preventive care screenings recommendations in recent months that payers should take note of for their preventive care and value-based care strategies.

The USPSTF’s most recent analysis found that individuals between the ages of 50 to 75 years would benefit from colorectal cancer screenings and for individuals between 45 to 49 years of age. But members between 76 and 85 years old may not benefit from the screening as much.

Screening for hypertension was already considered a highly recommended practice but the USPSTF has reaffirmed that conclusion in its recent recommendation, yielding substantial health benefits to members. Screenings should be annual for adults who are 40 years of age and older or for those with risk factors. Otherwise, screenings should occur every three to five years. READ MORE