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HEALTHCARE
NEWS
Henry Ford Health System Drops Out of Medicare
Bundled Payments for Joint Replacement: 5 Key Notes
By Laura Dyrda
H
enry Ford Health System in Detroit
joined Medicare's bundled payment
pilot in 2013, but the hospital recent-
ly announced it will no longer participate in
the program, according to a Crain's Detroit
Business report.
Here are five key notes:
1. ree hospitals from Henry Ford Health
System participated in the first phase of the
Medicare bundled payment programs, but
dropped out when it became clear the finan-
cial targets were changing. Additionally, about
one-third of the services for the bundle were
conducted outside of the Henry Ford system.
2. The three participating hospitals —
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in
Bloomfield Township, Mich., Henry Ford
Wyandotte (Mich.) Hospital and Clinton,
Mich.-based Henry Ford Macomb Hospi-
tal — reported around 650 hip and knee
replacements annually in the bundled pay-
ment program.
3. It became difficult for Henry Ford to con-
trol the cost of care provided outside the
health system, and patients needing urgent
care didn't always stay within the system.
When care costs more than the target price,
the hospital pays the difference.
4. e Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Borgess
Health; Muskegon, Mich.-based Mercy
Health Partners; and St. Mary's Health Ser-
vices in Grand Rapids, Mich., moved on to
participate in the Medicare model 2 bundled
payment program. Orthopedic Associates of
Grand Rapids (Mich.) PC, a physician prac-
tice, also remains in the Medicare bundled
payment program. Aer hospitals bill Medi-
care on a fee-for-service basis for the 90-day
episode of care, Medicare reconciles the pay-
ment by comparing prices. Providers that de-
liver care for under the target price keep the
difference.
5. During the first 21 months of the CMS
Bundled Payments for Care Improvement
initiatives, the hospitals participating lowered
Medicare payments for lower extremity joint
replacements by $1,166 more than at hospi-
tals that didn't participate in BPCI, according
to a JAMA study. n
President-elect Donald Trump Taps
Dr. Ben Carson to Join Cabinet as
Housing Secretary: 6 Things to Know
By Megan Wood
P
resident-elect Donald Trump called on Ben Carson, MD, to join
his cabinet, despite the retired neurosurgeon's initial hesita-
tion, according to Los Angeles Times.
Here are six things to know:
1. President-elect Trump selected Dr. Carson to head the Department
of Housing and Urban Development.
2. In a statement, President-elect Trump praised Dr. Carson's "brilliant
mind" and noted he is "passionate about strengthening communi-
ties and families within those communities," as reported in the Los
Angeles Times.
3. Dr. Carson has reportedly discussed President-elect Trump's urban
renewal agenda, with a focus on economic revival, "very much includ-
ing our inner cities," according to President-elect Trump's statement
reported by the Los Angeles Times.
4. Although initially saying he didn't possess the necessary experi-
ence to head a federal agency, Dr. Carson opened up to the possibil-
ity as President-elect Trump encouraged the appointment.
5. A former Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Carson dropped
out on March 4, 2016, due to poor results on Super Tuesday.
6. He served as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore before his retirement in 2013. n
Dr. Allan Friedman
Performs Spine Surgery on
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski
By Laura Dyrda
Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Head
Men's Basketball Coach Mike Kzyzewski under-
went spine surgery, according to Duke Sports
Information, and Allan Friedman, MD, is sched-
uled to perform the procedure.
Dr. Friedman has been working with Mr. Krzyze-
wski for several weeks to manage symptoms
associated with his back pain. Nonoperative
techniques failed to resolve Mr. Krzyzewski's
pain and he decided to undergo surgery. Mr.
Krzyzewski is expected to spend at least four
weeks recovering from the procedure. Duke's
Associate Head Coach Jeff Capel will assume
Mr. Krzyzewski's coaching responsibilities until
he is cleared to return to the court.
The procedure removed a fragment of a herni-
ated disc in Mr. Krzyzewski's back.
Dr. Friedman is the Guy L. Odom Professor of
Neurological Surgery and deputy director of
The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at
Duke. Dr. Friedman earned his medical degree
at Chicago-based University of Illinois College
of Medicine and completed his neurosurgery
residency at Duke University Medical Center. n
