News Feature | May 21, 2014

Telehealth Solution Will Address Affordable Care Act's Readmission Rule

By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer

Telehealth ACA Rule

Yankee Alliance implements telehealth solution that will allow it to address the Affordable Care Act's 30 day re-admission rule.

Yankee Alliance, a healthcare group purchasing organization, has awarded two contracts to Authentidate for its InscrybeMD Telehealth and Inscrybe Discharge solutions. The agreement will enable the solutions provider to offer these services to Yankee Alliance’s members.

Authentidate’s Telehealth solutions will help Yankee Alliance members to address the Affordable Care Act’s 30-day readmission rule. Hospitals with an above average percentage of readmissions within 30 days of initial discharge face substantial reimbursement penalties. “Authentidate is a nationally recognized provider of telehealth and discharge solutions with a proven track record of helping hospitals to drive greater efficiencies and reduce costs,” said Craig Shoukimas, VP of contracting for Yankee Alliance. “We couldn’t be more pleased to be partnering with them to provide their solutions to our member facilities.”

InscrybeMD Telehealth facilitates Web-based follow-up care for patients who are managing chronic diseases, as well as other illnesses and behavioral disorders, by offering remote patient monitoring in which providers can view a patient’s vitals and make adjustments to care plans. Disease management education and automated reminders for diet, medication, and follow-up physician visits will aid Yankee Alliance member hospitals in increasing patient compliance and encouraging healthier habits, leading to overall improved health.

Inscrybe Discharge Solution increases the efficiency of hospital processes for patient discharge and post-acute care placement. An automated online process issues referrals for required equipment or services for in-home care or locates optimal facilities for post-discharge placement. Both should result in improved patient care and satisfaction scores for Yankee Alliance members. “Authentidate’s healthcare solutions are designed to improve the continuity of care for patients outside of the acute care setting and facilitate better care coordination for patients,” said Ben Benjamin, CEO and president of Authentidate. “We are confident that our InscrybeMD Telehealth and Inscrybe Hospital Discharge solutions will help Yankee Alliance members significantly.”

Based in Andover, MA, Yankee Alliance is a not-for-profit family of companies. Yankee Alliance, Inc. offers membership to acute care and sub-acute care hospitals, imaging and surgery centers, physician practices, senior living facilities, and outpatient service sites. Services offered include transformational learning, best-practice sharing, and cost saving through educational, networking, and collaborative activities.

Yankee Alliance Hospital Supply Chain Management provides services in group purchasing and supply chain management to 40+ acute care hospitals via its membership with Premier, one of the largest group purchasers in the U.S., and through special member-developed contracts. Yankee Alliance, LLC offers affiliate purchasing services to imaging centers, long term care facilities, assisted living, independent living, community health centers, VNAs, rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies, home infusion, ambulatory surgery centers, and physician practices.

SOURCE: Globe Newswire