Anthony Brino

At a time when emergency care is increasingly viewed as inconvenient, overcrowded and overpriced, and possibly losing ground to urgent care clinics, some health systems are trying to make their ERs a place where people actually want to go and spend their time and money.

Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation's largest health systems, is keeping its eye on the future by launching a new health brand that will compete with established health insurers.

Hospitals participating in Independence Blue Cross' accountable care contracts are reducing costs, improving care and earning incentives, according to the Philadelphia-based insurer.

Cancer treatment costs are among the highest in the healthcare industry. Insurer UnitedHealthcare created a pilot in an attempt to lower costs that has yielded some promising, though somewhat mixed results.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are making progress in its transition from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement models.

Medicare regulators are updating hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center payments for next year, and also outlining a potential remedy to private Medicare overpayments.

The growth of total U.S. medical costs is slowing down, but one segment is expanding fast: prescription drug costs.

A patient-centered medical home program with a physician-owned, multispecialty group has been so promising that Aetna is extending the arrangement.

After more than a year of dispute over continuing a contract, insurer and new health system owner Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have reached a comprehensive transition agreement.

Ambulatory surgery centers have new evidence to back up arguments for its relative cost-effectiveness.