Accounting & Financial Management

Healthcare payment structures are changing, but won't necessarily hurt healthcare system's finances.

Healthcare financial planning is more complex than ever, evolving from a function-focused activity into integrated financial and operational planning that touches the entire organization.

Expenses are climbing by 8 percent this year over last, from $416 billion in 2014 to $608 billion in 2015, according to a new report from Kalorama Information.

New Hampshire ACO's goal is to have capitation make up 70 percent of reimbursements, dropping fee-for-service from its current 50 percent to 30 percent.

Operating income across Pennsylvania's 35 for-profit and 135 nonprofit hospitals decreased about 5 percent in fiscal 2014 from $1.8 billion to $1.7 billion, according to new data released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.

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

Patient engagement can ensure the delivery of patient- and family-centered care while bolstering the ability of accountable care organizations to meet quality and savings goals.

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.

As hospitals and other healthcare facilities face tighter profit margins tied to care costs and cuts in reimbursement rates, more organizations are turning to just-in-time inventory management to keep supplies lean and costs low. But the approach comes with risks.

Organizations need to find ways to increase collections on the front end, revise charity policies and contract for shared risk to stay solvent, according to a new report from iVantage Health Analytics.