Message from AHVAP President

Dear AHVAP Members,

I enjoyed seeing some of you at our annual conference and industry partner expo in Grapevine last month. Networking with new friends, seeing old friends and being surrounded by the collective value analysis wisdom was invigorating! The level of depth and insight with the presentations and keynote speakers demonstrates the growth and advancements in our organization and our profession. I am very grateful and proud of the work accomplished by the AHVAP conference committee members for organizing a successful conference and planning our next event. I hope to see you in Orlando next year!

Although our value analysis profession is gaining momentum, maximizing cost-effective strategies, and expanding our strength of experience in this post-COVID landscape, our organizations continue to struggle with balancing budgets and staying ahead of the decreased reimbursement and rising healthcare costs. Many organizations like mine are putting pressure on payers and the Medicare Advantage Programs that have demonstrated authorization delays, denials, and up-charging. They are making billions in profit and gobbling it up from diminishing Medicare funds.

According to Becker's Hospital CFO Report, hospitals are dropping Medicare Advantage plans in record numbers due to excessive prior authorization delays, denials of care and slow payment of claims. In the words of Chris Van Gorder, President and CEO of San Diego-based Scripps Health: “Patients need to be aware of how this system works. Traditional Medicare is not an issue. With these other models, seniors need to be wary and savvy buyers.” These groundbreaking findings were reported recently in the Lever, which quoted Physicians for a National Healthcare Program (PNHP) Board Secretary Dr. Ed Weisbart saying: “Insurers are quietly plundering the Medicare trust fund for their own profits and compromising the health of senior citizens and people with disabilities.” In Value Analysis today, the only key stakeholder missing at our table is the payer side of the business. It is about time we put pressure on them and one day, I am sure they will have a seat at our table. The focus should be making sure the patient is in the center of these decisions instead of denying quality patient care and making billions in pure profit.

The Professional Development Webinars are scheduled for the rest of the year, and I hope you get a chance to join us for those upcoming events. We are continuing to plan educational programs, micro-credentials, and the tools you and your value analysis teams are asking for. Thank you to all the AHVAP committee members for their devotion and hours of volunteer work. We appreciate your dedication, commitment, and continued support of AHVAP.

Enjoy the Fall season. The holidays will be here soon!

Kind Regards,

Elizabeth Eisenberg, MSN, RN, CVAHP™
2023 AHVAP President
Board of Directors