Reimbursement
Following two years of falling margins, the trend has reversed course, with median margins improving more than 10% over 2018.
Physician compensation rebounded from a stagnant 2017, but the increase in productivity was negligible.
The Centene subsidiary, Aetna and three other MCOs were paid $7.6 billion by Medicaid to cover more than 1.7 million beneficiaries.
Following adoption of the legislation, the number of physicians in provider networks increased by 16%.
Hospitals often don't file for the funds because they're unaware of what can be reimbursed, and there is only a 30-day window to apply.
A few stakeholders recommended removing or suspending the overall star ratings from Hospital Compare until changes are made.
St. Elizabeth's five hospitals are the first in the state to participate in the voluntary agreement to reduce charges by as much as 45 percent.
Increasing government spending is partially driving the market's growth, along with initiatives to encourage adoption of third-party solutions.
The demand for telemedicine - seen as an elixir for rural health accessibility - has put extreme demands on limited program funding, FCC says.
The therapy costs $375,000 or $475,000, with hospital stays due to adverse effects adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to care.