Kurt Ullman is a long-time RN and has been a medical writer for nearly 30 years. He has published over 500 articles and has won multiple Apex and National Health Information Awards. He holds an associate degree in nursing from Purdue University as well as a bachelor's degree in public affairs-mass communications media and a master's in health administration, both from Indiana University.
Kurt Ullman
Nonprofit hospitals need to do more than ever to keep their tax-exempt status, as Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code adds new requirements to any organization operating a licensed hospital to maintain these benefits.
While the Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell that cleared subsidized health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act removed a lot of uncertainty from hospital finance, little has changed when it comes to hospitals' access to debt. But that may change.
Hospital-based wellness centers, once seen as marketing tools for innovative health systems, have become a major part of a hospital's population health management program in the era of quality over quantity of care.
While every financial metric carries importance in running a healthcare business, tighter margins means managing days in accounts receivable is becoming more important than ever.
Pennsylvania-based Geisinger has developed five major bodies of oversight, each headed by a senior executive, and a centralized compliance office.
Clinical analytics, benchmarks and patient experience data now just as important as financial metrics, insiders say.
Changes in payment trends brought about by the Affordable Care Act, technology expenditures related to electronic health records, and fluctuations in cash flow from higher deductibles and patient copays have all impacted the need for readily available cash.
Lower revenue makes tracking costs even more important for these smaller healthcare facilities.
New payment models and technology in healthcare are bringing big changes to the hospital controller job as "following the money" has become more complicated than ever.
Population-based payments will make the new year interesting for those working in hospital revenue cycle. Add in the uncertainty surrounding ICD-10 implementation and financial managers have much to focus on in 2015.