News
Medicare is penalizing 721 hospitals with high rates of potentially avoidable mistakes that can harm patients, known as "hospital-acquired conditions." Penalized hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent over the fiscal year that runs from October 2014 through September 2015.
Revenue cycle management faces serious challenges, the third quarter report from research firm Black Book suggests, placing CFOs in the tough spot of trying to manage the costs of implementation with the need for more comprehensive systems.
To move beyond the marketing buzz of "population health" and, in some places, to avoid being usurped by provider-sponsored plans, insurers need to see provider contracting more as a partnership for a community's healthcare and wellness.
Revenue cycle upgrades at U.S. hospitals have been pushed aside, in favor of preparation for the October 2015 ICD-10 transition and the chase for incentives tied to electronic health records, according to a Black Book survey of chief financial officers.
Another health insurer is investing in a digital differentiator, offering members access to telehealth and choices in using it.
The state that was supposed to pioneer single payer healthcare for the nation is dropping the idea. Gov. Peter Shumlin said the comprehensive tax scheme needed to raise more than $2 billion annually would be too disruptive.
In its toughest crackdown yet on medical errors, the federal government is cutting payments to 721 hospitals for having high rates of infections and other patient injuries.
One Blue insurer will find out just how much employer appetite there is for health plans with limited but transparent networks branded as both accountable and affordable.
The land of the Green Mountains, dairy farms and maple syrup is no longer pursuing the progressive dream of a single payer healthcare system, although it may still be on the vanguard trying to regulate affordability and access.
Despite the marketing buzz carried by terms like "population health" and "integration," experts say this kind of regionalization works best with partnerships between providers and commercial payers.