Financial uncertainties associated with healthcare reform are a major concern for large hospitals and the focus of a new white paper sponsored by Siemens Financial Services.
"Uncharted Waters: Navigating Unknowns of Reform at America's Large Hospitals," containing interviews with select hospital administrators, was released Tuesday by Siemens and deals with the fiscal planning faced by large hospitals as they strive to increase efficiencies and improve patient care.
Case studies included in the white paper highlighted Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg, Va., the Washington County Health System in Hagerstown, Md., the NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Ill., and St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, Mich.
The paper's authors said large hospitals face still-growing numbers of uninsured and non-paying patients due to the economic recession while struggling to increase efficiencies.
"Their hope: A closer alignment of costs with payer reimbursements – before those reimbursements decrease under reform," they said.
The added that estimates of future hospital income generated by newly insured patients – generated by healthcare refcorm – are murky at best.
"Administrators at many large institutions are navigating without a compass, unsure if their facilities can afford to correct inefficiencies and pay for new technologies and processes required by reform," the report said.
The paper is available online here.