Susan Morse

The change will affect 10,000 workers, an estimated 7 percent of the 150,000 in the system's workforce, according to Ascension, the nation's largest Catholic and nonprofit health network.

The further reimbursement cuts are expected push margins of an estimated 40 percent of all home health providers into loss territory.

Since Medicaid expansion coverage began last year, emergency room visits by the uninsured dropped by 22 percent this year, compared to 17 percent in 2014.

The move, they hope, will contribute to lowering an estimated 1,300 patient deaths nationwide each year attributed mistakes associated with surgeries conducted too infrequently at medical facilities.

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.