The American journal of managed care
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To examine whether fragmentation of care is associated with worse in-hospital and 90-day outcomes following durable ventricular assist device (VAD) implant. ⋯ Care delivery network fragmentation is associated with higher in-hospital and 90-day infection rates following durable VAD implant. These networks may serve as novel targets for enhancing outcomes for patients undergoing VAD implant.
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As Medicare Advantage increasingly becomes the dominant form of Medicare, meaningful and accurate comparisons with traditional fee-for-service Medicare will be increasingly important for both beneficiaries and policy makers. Recent debate among policy experts, government advisory bodies, and health plans highlights the need to create standardized comparison between the 2 Medicare programs. ⋯ Making this information transparent to beneficiaries through the plan finder would improve beneficiary decision-making. Finally, pragmatic comparisons would support policy makers in making improvements to Medicare Advantage program policy, undertaking comparative program evaluation, and engaging in Medigap plan oversight.