What We're Reading: Concierge Nonprofit Hospitals; Kaiser Permanente Elderly Care Program; Health Care Not Among Top Voter Issues

The Rise of Concierge Medicine in Nonprofit Hospitals

More nonprofit hospitals have adopted concierge medicine, charging annual fees of $2000 or more to grant affluent patients enhanced access to physicians, according to Kaiser Health News. Although critics have argued this exacerbates primary care shortages and inflates health care costs, hospitals have found financial incentives in attracting wealthy patients and securing referrals. With patients willing to pay for personalized care, concierge physician care has raised questions about health care equity and access for underserved populations.

Kaiser Permanente Backs Venture Habitat Health

Habitat Health, a joint venture between Kaiser Permanente, Town Hall Ventures, and New Enterprise Associates, plans to utilize the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model to offer capitated payments from Medicare and Medicaid for elderly care at home, according to Fierce Healthcare. Habitat Health will not begin operating as a PACE organization until it receives full approval from CMS and the California Department of Health Care Services; if it does, it could begin its services in Sacramento and Los Angeles in 2025. Habitat Health aims to provide essential medical and social services, including primary care, transportation, meals, and physical therapy, offering an alternative to traditional nursing home–based care.

Rethinking the Impact of the Pandemic on National Concerns

Gallup polls revealed health care fell to the 16th-most important issue for Americans, marking a departure from recent trends, according to Forbes. Contrary to what the poll might suggest, health care is still a crucial issue post the COVID-9 pandemic. The shift underscored a deeper reconfiguration of societal priorities post-pandemic, with health care issues now intersecting with broader economic, social, and governmental challenges.