Susan Morse

The Advisory Board revenue cycle head Ed Hock says punting on ICD-10 until the new code set is ready robs healthcare providers of the benefits of the Oct. 1 changeover.

Meanwhile, proposed legislation could cost physicians more, leading to more alignment with hospitals.

Bill calls for stiffer fines for tax delinquent Medicare service providers, keeping reimbursement for acute care providers to 1 percent and by upping premiums for wealthier Medicare beneficiaries.

More than two-thirds of the estimated reduction, or $5 billion, was in states opting to expand Medicaid to uninsured low-income adults.

The privately held company is in the $9 billion global market for products designed for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures, degenerative disc disease.

The consumer demand for price transparency is growing as patients pay more out-of-pocket expenses as deductibles rise.

The bill proposes to increase payment accuracy, encourage physicians to adopt proven practices, supply doctors with data to improve care, and, for patients, to make Medicare more transparent by them more access to information.

Providers find retirement, financial planning for women in healthcare has high importance.

The new proposal will repeal the current Sustainable Growth Rate and institute a 0.5 percent payment update each year for five years.

This year alone, prevention and enforcement efforts recovered $3.3 billion from individuals and companies that attempted to defraud federal health programs serving seniors, persons with disabilities or those with low incomes.