John Andrews

Revenue cycle management has gone from being a "back office" function to an "end-to-end" system that begins at patient intake or even before, claims specialists say. Advanced technologies, in tandem with improved workflows and better data have resulted in RCM systems that encompass the entire healthcare enterprise.

At least this far in, the fears of massive claims rejections, crashing cash flows and full-blown chaos were largely unfounded.

Healthcare providers striving to improve their HCAHPS survey scores most likely need help with one critical area - communications with patients of all races, nationalities, ages and genders as researchers look at how much demographics affect the scores.

While providing medical services to the public has traditionally been seen as a domestic business, recent acquisitions of British healthcare concerns by Tenet Healthcare and Acadia Healthcare suggest that more U.S. healthcare providers are looking overseas for growth.

Those who were ready before last year's postponement are expecting it to through as planned - and hope there is no further delay.

Improving economy has boosted investor optimism in the market - especially in real estate.

While not as prevalent as they once were, healthcare pension plans still represent a significant fiduciary obligation.

As hospitals acquire physician practices, administrators must be less "hospital centric" when it comes to setting benchmarks and reporting quality.

The good news is labor relations within the healthcare industry seem stable for the most part, though contentious issues such as patient safety still exist and have threatened to disrupt operations at some health centers in the United States.

The most difficult challenges to value-based reimbursement reside within the cultural and operational sides of the business, and not technology, experts say.