Blog - Health Care Transformation

Hello Health Care Transformation Tribe,

Happy 2019! I hope you and your loved ones had a spectacular holiday and new year filled with happiness, love, and excitement. As we roll into 2019 I’m so excited to share with you what is happening over here at Health Care Transformation!

Drumroll please… 🥁

I am so proud and happy to introduce Kelsey Vetter as the head of Health Care Transformation For the Body! Kelsey is one of the top nutrition and wellbeing experts in Los Angeles so stay tuned for getting all the scoop on Kelsey when her interview comes out later this week! And join me in welcoming Kelsey to the team!!

And our second piece of great news is that we are launching our New Year’s edition of the Health Care Transformation 6-Week Wellness Transformation Program on Thursday January 24th to help you live your best life in 2019!

Maybe you are feeling a little sluggish on your New Years resolutions already and need a little pick me up! Maybe you have your resolutions but you’re not sure if they are really going to set you up for success. There is so much health and nutrition information out there that maybe you are feeling confused, overwhelmed, and completely out of touch with what’s actually good for your body. This is why we built this program for you- to simplify the concepts of wellbeing and help you feel your best! So if you are ready to set and achieve your goals and live a happy, healthy life (and have some fun with Kelsey and Meghan doing it) then this is the program for you!

The 6-Week Wellness Transformation Program is designed to simplify health and wellness so you can start feeling confident in taking charge of your health! Throughout the six weeks, we give you the tools, guidance, and support you need to create healthy change and positive impact in your life.

This program is made for people just like you who are busy busy busy! It’s entirely online and allows you the freedom to learn and complete the toolkits on your own time, while belonging to a supportive community and giving you justtttt the right amount of accountability to keep you moving forward. And with full email access to Kelsey you’ll have a personal health coach at your fingertips that you can access at any time!

We are here to be your friend, your confidant, and your biggest advocate in achieving your goals!

Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain confidence in your health choices, or live a longer life, this program will help you achieve it by giving you the foundational knowledge and tools needed to live your best life! Why is this program so amazing?

– Weekly informative videos that educate and inspire you, introducing you to that week’s topic & toolkit and building a connection with your coaches Kelsey and Meghan Weekly interactive toolkits
– Each week we’ll cover a different topic that helps you get one step closer to achieving your goals:
Week 1: Goal Setting
Week 2: Understanding Calories
Week 3: Food Choices
Week 4: Meal Prep
Week 5: Movement & Exercise
Week 6: Sustainability
-Unlimited access to Kelsey via email so you can ask questions along the way and receive personalized feedback based off of your toolkit tasks.
– Lifetime access to the exclusive Health Care Transformation 6-Week Wellness Facebook Group. Get feedback & support from your peers who are also working to improve their health & wellbeing!
-Scheduled video calls to connect about challenges, share your successes and connect with others in the program. 30+ simple Wellness Transformation approved recipes to give you ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks.
– Workout Videos & free resources that you can implement during and after the program.
-Results! We offer a money back guarantee if you don’t learn anything from the program. We are so confident that this program will help you understand how to live a healthier life! Stop feeling confused and overwhelmed by how to start your health journey and let us support you in building and incorporating healthy habits until they become second nature!

What are you waiting for!? SIGN UP TODAY! The program is only $149.95 for 6 weeks, which means less than $25 a week for PERSONALIZED health coaching!

Got a friend who wants to join as well?? Take advantage of our New Years BFF Special – 2 for the price of 1! Sign up before January 24th and you’ll get two entries for the price of one. There’s no time to waste so grab a buddy and get started today!

The program launches on January 24^th and won’t launch again until April, so sign up now to reserve your spot. Space is limited!

Now let’s get down to brass tacks…

Who is this program really for??

– People who know they have so much potential and want to live up to that potential!People who feel sluggish, tired, overweight, or unhappy and can’t figure out why. Or people who know why but don’t know where to start!
– People who think they are doing the right things when it comes to nutrition and exercise but nothing seems to change.
– People who recognize that wellbeing is at the core of success and longevity and they are ready to invest in their health!
– People who are truly motivated to focus on themselves for the next six weeks and achieve their best self!

Who is this program NOT for??

– People who are feeling unmotivated and not ready for change.
– People who just want to be lazy and chubby and don’t care what anyone thinks.
– People who think they are too busy to care about their own health.

But that’s not you!! You are motivated and empowered and ready to take on 2019 with a bang! So grab a buddy and get signed up today!! And congratulations on taking this step towards achieving a healthier you! We are so excited and can’t wait to see you in the program!

Have any questions about the 6-Week Wellness Transformation Program?? Please feel free to send us an email with any and all questions!

Cheers to Health and Happiness!

Wellbeing

Let’s Learn More About Kelsey, VP of For the Body!

January 10, 2019January 10, 2019 mnechrebecki

Hello Everyone,

I’m so pleased and excited that we have Kelsey Vetter, one of the top nutrition and wellbeing experts in Los Angeles, joining our Health Care Transformation team! Since Kelsey is new to the team I wanted to sit down and chat with Kels so you all could get the scoop too! Check out our interview below.

Kelsey, tell us a little bit about where you’re from and how you ended up in the great state of California!

I am originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where it’s very very very cold most of the year! I moved to Los Angeles right after college for a post-graduate program and knew immediately that this is where I was meant to live. As much as I love the Midwest, I’m definitely a beach girl!

You’re one of the top nutrition experts in LA. Tell us about how your passion for nutrition started and blossomed to where it is today.

My interest in nutrition started when I was pretty young. I am the daughter of a professional athlete and health club owner (hi, dad!) so I grew up drinking green juice for breakfast and having multivitamins for dessert. My parents laid the foundation of my passion for nutrition & fitness and I’ve been continuing to pursue that passion ever since!

Why is nutrition and well-being so important?

Nutrition is the foundation of well-being and living a healthy life in general. As soon as we start prioritizing good nutrition, we benefit from more restful sleep, a healthier number on the scale, stronger muscles and bones – the list goes on!

What do you aim to achieve by heading up Health Care Transformation- For the Body?

My goal is to help simplify nutrition & wellbeing for the masses. There is SO much information out there about what to eat, what not to eat, 5 foods to eat for a flatter belly etc. that it can be overwhelming and intimidating for people. I want to cut through the BS in the wellness space and give people the basic tools they need to live their healthiest lives!

There are a lot of individuals working in the health and nutrition space. What makes your methods and tools so unique?

I take a holistic approach to health that looks not only at nutrition but also mental health, sleep, stress levels, activity level and so on. My focus is on nutrition as a form of prevention and overall well-being. I help people build sustainable healthy habits that they can stick with!

Tell us more about why you created the 6-Week Wellness Program and how it’s different from other typical weight loss programs.

I created the 6-Week Wellness Program to really simplify the concepts of nutrition and wellness – to get back to the basics of what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle. This program is designed to help participants make small changes in their habits to maintain a healthy lifestyle long term.

What’s a secret to keeping healthy and fit that most people don’t know or is a common misconception?

I think people perceive living a healthy lifestyle to be complicated and limiting. Spoiler: it’s not! It can be so simple if you have the right tools and mindset! This is where my passion really lies: helping people understand that it’s not as hard as they think to start living a healthier life.

What are your top three nutrition recommendations for living a healthy life?

Ditch the word diet. Diets are temporary. Focus on changing your lifestyle and the way you eat and you’ll feel better in the long run!
Eat real food (whole, unprocessed, mostly plants)
Breakup with sugar! It’s not you, it’s the sugar.

What is your favorite quote to live by?

“Your health is a choice that you make with every bite you take.” With every bite, we are either feeding or fighting disease, choose wisely!

What is your favorite healthy recipe to make?

Hmmm this is a tough one, i LOVE to cook! Right now I’m obsessed with making paleo pancakes and cacao chia pudding, yum!

What is your guilty pleasure- food or restaurant?

I don’t think any food should be considered “guilty” if you think it’s worth it, I’m all about food freedom and balance! That being said, I’m a sucker for novelty ice cream.

What are your top three favorite restaurants in LA?

I’m all about healthy on-the-go meals. Tocaya Organica, Cafe Gratitude, and Flower Child are some of my faves!

Do you have a favorite grocery store or farmers market?

Grocery stores are my happy place, I could wander the aisles for hours…

I get my veggies and meat from my neighborhood farmers market, my pantry staples from Trader Joes and anything extra from Whole Foods. Told you I love grocery stores!!

What’s your favorite fitness activity?

Oh boy, I don’t have kids yet but this must be what it feels like to be asked which child is your favorite! I love fitness in all forms, it’s the best part of my day! The answer to this changes daily – I’m into CrossFit, yoga, running, hiking, spinning – you name it!

Do you have a favorite health app? IG influencer? Health Guru you look up to?

Does anyone NOT love @shutthekaleup? (Follow her if you don’t already!)

What is the newest fad in nutrition that you’re super into? What about a fad that’s gotta go?

I’m really into adaptogens right now and learning how they affect our hormones and body’s ability to adapt to stress, it’s so fascinating! One fad I can’t get behind is these “detox teas” or “flat tummy teas” you see online and on instagram. They’re a total marketing ploy!

This has been so amazing Kelsey and we are so excited to have you on the team! Any closing thoughts to inspire folks to care about their health and wellbeing?

Your life begins and ends with your health! Living a healthy lifestyle and feeling great is the foundation of achieving what you want from life – great relationships, success at work, etc. Start prioritizing your self because no one else will!

Isn’t Kelsey amazing?! I’m so excited for you to get to know her more through the website, social media, and our programs! And be sure to head over to check out the 6-Week Wellness Transformation Program today!

Health Care Transformation

Do You Know if You’re in an ACO?

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018 mnechrebecki

Hello There Health Care Transformation Tribe,

There has been some recent news on the Medicare Shared Savings front that’s a pretty big deal but honestly most people have probably never heard of an ACO, don’t realize they are in an ACO, and don’t know that ACO’s were a large part of the Affordable Care Act when it was passed back in 2010. So let me start from the beginning and lay this all out for you.

How Doctors/Health Systems Were Paid in the Past: Fee-For-Service (FFS)

What does this mean? They get paid a set amount every time they do something

What impact does it have?

It incentivizes doctors to do more (more surgeries, more labs, more imaging, etc.).
It does not pay doctors based on the quality of care the patient receives.
Doctors are not incentivized to provide care if they don’t get paid for it or if the FFS reimbursement is low, even if it would actually improve care for the patient (responding to messages, making calls to patients, video visits, mental health, obesity educational classes, etc.).
It siloes the providers of care from one another because everyone gets paid for only the service they provide, i.e. care is not patient-centric.

Enter the Accountable Care Organization (ACO). ACO’s are groups of healthcare providers that assume responsibility for the cost and quality of care for their patients.

What does this mean? The payer sets expected financial and quality benchmarks for the ACO’s patient population. If the ACO is below the financial target and above the quality targets the ACO gets to share in the savings with the payer. Note- there are two types of ACO’s: one-sided risk (upside only) and two-sided risk (upside and downside). Those who enter into two-sided risk will have to pay money back to the payer if the patients spend more healthcare dollars than expected but if there are savings they get a higher percentage of the savings. That is their only incentive to take on downside risk.

What impact does it have?

It incentivizes health systems to provide the right care at the right time in the right setting by the right person.
It incentivizes prevention and high-quality patient care.
It incentivizes health systems to invest in people and resources that otherwise wouldn’t be reimbursed under FFS but keep patients healthy, for example, remote monitoring in the home and calling/visiting patients after being discharged from the hospital.
It incentivizes health systems to break down siloes and provide patient-centric care to make sure all these items are achieved.

The ACO led by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is called the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Commercial payers have also followed suit and created their own ACO’s as well.

Little known fact: It is well established in health care that the government, i.e. CMS, is more progressive when it comes to cost reduction and quality improvement for patients, which is very surprising to most folks because they would assume it would be the private sector. Not the case in health care!

So now that you better understand what defines an ACO let’s talk about what CMS is proposing to change about the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP):

Renaming the program “Pathways to Success”. Not sure the need or impact of a title change but ok.
Reduces the different tracks ACO’s can take and they must take on downside risk within 2 years of entering the program (right now they have six years).
ACO’s must alert their patients that they are in fact in an ACO.
Adjustments will be made to ACO financial targets based on local markets.
Allows providers to receive payment for telehealth services to patients in their homes (which is currently not reimbursed under FFS Medicare)

What is “telehealth” you ask? Well let me explain…

I actually believe that most of these proposed items are good things. We should be doing more telehealth to reach patients where they are. We should be pushing health systems to move away from FFS incentives and take downside risk. It would be a good thing for patients to know whether they are in an ACO and what that means so they can continue to further engage with the health system in the most optimal way. Many are concerned that ACO’s will drop out of the program when forced to take downside risk but I think that will remain to be seen.

In the meantime, I hope you better understand the major development of the ACO that occurred within the Affordable Care Act and how some adjustments may be made to the program in the near future.

Cheers to Health and Happiness!

The Handbook

Achieve your best health at the lowest price. Become an educated, empowered healthcare consumer.

August 13, 2018October 2, 2018 mnechrebecki

Hello my Health Care Transformation Tribe!

Exciting news! My Health Care Transformation Handbook is officially available for purchase!!!

Do you want to understand how to navigate the healthcare system like a pro? Are you looking to achieve your best health at the lowest price? Do you wish you had the knowledge of a healthcare expert right at your fingertips of what to do and where to go and what to ask?

Then My Health Care Transformation Handbook may be exactly what you need!

I’ve been passionately working in healthcare improvement for almost ten years now and it’s become very clear to me that:

A) Health care is WAY too confusing! Even many folks who work in health care are confused by the beast that is health care!

B) Health care systems can be messy and unfortunately sometimes things fall through the cracks and patients may not always receive the best possible care.

C) Because no one is taking ownership over educating people on what to do and where to go, many people actually don’t make the best decisions for their health or their wallet!

So I decided to change all that with My Health Care Transformation Handbook. This first edition handbook is your ticket to having healthcare expertise at your fingertips! Now you don’t have to worry that you don’t know what you’re doing or that you might be getting taken advantage of or that you might be making a bad decision. I’ve helped hundreds of people navigate the health insurance and provider system and now I’ve written my expertise down within My Health Care Transformation Handbook to guide and support you along your healthcare journey!

My Health Care Transformation Handbook has six sections to support you:

My Prevention– to support your health and happiness. It even includes the recommended guidelines for preventive screenings and vaccinations based on age and gender.
My Health Care Status– to manage and document your current health state, provider care team information, medications, urgent issues, etc.
My Clinical Encounters– to manage your clinic visits, emergent issues, hospitalizations, surgeries, and more. It even includes key questions to ask your doctor!
My Advance Care Planning– to support you or loved ones in decision-making around your goals of care in an unforeseen event.
My Health Insurance and Billing– to educate you on how to understand and select your insurance. It even includes tools to support you in budgeting and estimating healthcare costs.
Extras– including my key recommendations on how to reduce your healthcare costs!

I wrote this book just for you for when you’re ready to delve in and learn what you need to know about managing your health and taking control of navigating this crazy, confusing healthcare system. This is for people who want peace of mind and confidence. Who want to care for themselves and their loved ones.

Here are a few of the results you can expect from My Health Care Transformation Handbook:

Clarity on how best to navigate the healthcare system in order to achieve your best health at the lowest price
Confidence to ask the right questions and get the care you deserve
Freedom from the fear that may be holding you back from really engaging with the healthcare system
Support and expertise to guide you along your healthcare journey
Tools and resources to move your health in the right direction towards a long and healthful life for you and your family
Comfort in knowing you have my healthcare expertise to support you as well as a community of like-minded individuals who also want to live a happy, healthy life

Who My Health Care Transformation Handbook Is For:

You select your health insurance by picking the cheapest health plan available.
You don’t know the difference between a copayment and coinsurance. Or is there one?
You have never heard of the USPSTF and you have zero clue which cancer screenings you should get and when.
You think a “Patient Portal” might have been how they provided health care in a Star Wars movie…
You have walked into an Emergency Room to receive medical care (BTW if you can walk and talk, it’s most likely not an emergency…unless you have chest pain, loss of breath, etc. but read the book!)
You’ve never heard of Advance Care Planning.
You would have NO idea what to expect and what to do if you were hospitalized.
You know you need to learn about health care and you want to learn about health care so you can better protect yourself and your loved ones.
You love big pretty books.

Who My Health Care Transformation Handbook is NOT For:

You hate books.
You already know everything there is to know about health care.
You get excited about risking your health and who cares how much money you waste on health insurance!
You are ok with waiting until you get sick and feel crappy and are actually seeing doctors to start caring about all this healthcare junk.

If you are ready to feel knowledgeable, confident, and empowered, purchase My Health Care Transformation Handbook today for $49.95 + shipping. The first shipment of books is limited so be sure to order yours soon! There is no better time than today to take control of your health and start utilizing my healthcare expertise. Especially with open enrollment season right around the corner!

Have any additional questions about My Handbook?? Be sure to contact me today with any questions!

I’m so happy and excited to support you on your healthcare journey and, as always, Cheers to Health and Happiness!

Prevention

Prevention is Key- Part 1

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 mnechrebecki

Hello Health Care Transformation Tribe!

Today I’d like to chat about one of the most important things you can do for yourself in order to have the best health at the lowest price and that is PREVENTION! Prevention means stopping something from happening in the first place.

Many expensive and painful diseases are actually caused by ourselves, not our genetics. For example, obesity due to overeating and lack of exercise causes us to have diabetes and heart disease. Smoking causes lung cancer. Excessive alcohol drinking causes a myriad of body problems including liver disease, GI problems, and osteoporosis.

So as you can see, it is actually very much in our control to keep ourselves healthy now so that in the future we don’t have to deal with a crappy, painful, expensive disease.

So what are my key tips for staying healthy and preventing disease?

Let’s start with healthy eating. Some of my key recommendations that I practice are below and you can find more in My Health Care Transformation Handbook:

Grocery shop on the periphery of the grocery store. I steer clear of aisles as much as possible! (But also be sure to steer clear of the bakery…)
Eat foods that are found in nature, not made in a factory. Carrots are found in nature. Cheetos came from a factory.
Go to your local farmers market or utilize a market delivery service. My favorite fresh local delivery service is Grubmarket in LA but I love to head over to the Brentwood Farmer’s Market any Sunday that I can.
Don’t store foods from the “avoid list” in your home. For example, I don’t store any desserts in my home. If I want a dessert then I need to walk out of the house and get it. And then guess what. I hardly ever eat desserts 😉

Now second to healthy eating is exercising. Here are some of my key recommendations that I practice and, again, you can find more in My Health Care Transformation Handbook:

Incorporate exercise into your day as much as possible. For me, I make sure to walk or bike anywhere that is within a few miles. I bike to the office. I take the stairs up and down whenever it’s less than six flights. Stay active!
Sign up for a workout class at the beginning of the week – then you can’t bail out that day when you are feeling tired! For me, I plan all my workouts, whether that is running, dancing, yoga, HIIT class, at the beginning of the week so that it is already scheduled and I make my plans around working out.

Also of extreme importance is taking care of your mental health. Having a happy, healthy mental state will help you achieve balance in your nutrition and exercise and vice versa. My key recommendations on how to achieve your best mental health, with more being available in My Handbook:

Document what brings you joy and then manage your time to ensure you are making room for these things. For example, I know that the top things that bring me joy are building relationships and friendships, exercising, being outdoors, and, of course, educating people on health care. So I make a concerted effort to make plans with friends as much as possible, exercise and be outdoors daily, and work on Health Care Transformation as much as possible.
I highly recommend setting some goals and then thinking through any mental barriers you are creating to achieving those goals of living your happiest best life.

And finally, practice healthy habits. Limit your alcohol intake and I don’t think I need to tell you that smoking is bad for you… But I will… Smoking is bad for you.

Now that we have talked through the basics of prevention, take some of these recommendations, set some goals for achieving your best health, and we will chat more about prevention soon!

Cheers to Health and Happiness!

Health Care Navigation

It’s National Healthcare Decisions Day!

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 mnechrebecki

Happy National Healthcare Decisions Day!!!

Wait… you didn’t know it was today?? And you don’t even know what that means??

Well then let me explain because this is really important and this is an area of health care I’m very passionate about!

The goal of National Healthcare Decisions Day is to educate and empower all individuals and doctors to complete their advance care planning.

So what is advance care planning?

Advance Care Planning means planning in advance for medical decisions just in case you are so sick that someone else has to make the decisions for you. These are your decisions to make based on your values, preferences, and conversations with loved ones.

Advance care planning is really important for the following reasons:

We are all mortal but prior to our time on this earth ending, we have incredible feelings, goals, and preferences on how we want our final time to play out. Some people would be happy never being able to taste food or walk again as long as they are alive. Other people would rather die than be stuck in a home in front of a TV with tubes for eating and going to the bathroom. Since you are an individual human you have your own desires and we need to make sure your family and doctors are aware of these.
The default of our medical society, unfortunately, is NOT to proactively have these conversations with you and your loved ones (although this is slowly changing). And then when the time comes when there is an urgent issue and no medical professional is aware of your wishes, they provide really aggressive medical care. Think surgeries and rib-breaking chest compressions and electrical shocks and tubes down throats. Now sometimes that saves a life but sometimes it actually can hurt an individual who is elderly or can be quite a shock and disappointment for those who want to die peacefully at home at the end of their life.

This Frontline episode “Being Mortal” will give you an inside look into the health care system and will really help you understand the importance of advance care planning.

So what should you do? Follow the checklist below that’s taken directly from My Health Care Transformation Handbook (available for purchase soon!) You might be the individual who needs to complete these steps or you might need to support your parents and grandparents in completing these steps. Either way, we can’t predict the future so we want to be sure that the family is as prepared as possible for whatever may come our way.

Advance Care Planning Medical Checklist:

Self-reflect on My Goals of Care
Discuss My Goals of Care with my family and friends
Discuss My Goals of Care with my Primary Care Provider (PCP)
Discuss My Goals of Care with the rest of my Care Team
Complete my Non-Temporary Advance Directive
Complete my Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Form
Have my doctor scan copies of my documentation into my medical record

To learn more about Advance Care Planning, the Navigating the U.S. Health Care System 101 course has two lessons on this topic! And like I mentioned, My Health Care Transformation Handbook will be coming soon with an entire chapter to support you and your loved ones with advance care planning so stay tuned for more info!

In the meantime, check out this comprehensive list of more resources on advance care planning.

I hope today you take this opportunity to have open honest conversations with your family and other loved ones about your goals, wishes, and preferences in the face of an unforeseen event.

Cheers to your every health and happiness.