Budgeting
Medicare's Trust Fund has a 12 years of solvency left and seniors are also being forced to pay more, making it a ripe time to reform today's haphazard payment system, argues Medicare's independent advisor.
Some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies have slashed payments to health professionals for promotional speeches amid heightened public scrutiny of such spending.
The Obama Administration released its proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2015 this week. Virtually all types of healthcare providers, health plans, and drug manufacturers would be impacted by the budget provisions if adopted as proposed - although that is an unlikely scenario.
Meaningful use requirements and the move toward integrated, accountable care have been pushing long-term care facilities to improve their technology systems, but it's been a tough road for many skilled nursing facilities.
In light of the cadre of reform measures reverberating through the healthcare industry, hospitals are responding to the pressure by changing up their budgeting formats.
Last month, Paul R. Bengston, CEO of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, a small, critical access hospital located in St. Johnsbury, Vt., was chosen to lead the American Hospital Association's Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2014. The 21-person governing council represents small or rural hospitals in the AHA's policy process and member services initiatives.
Honolulu's Kuakini Medical Center was anticipating an enormous capital investment to upgrade its energy systems, when a golden opportunity came along.
Squeezed budgets make it difficult to finance hospital equipment, so hospitals are turning to flexible equipment financing as a solution.
Back in the early 2000s, Mid-State Health Center was in dire need. The new CEO knew something had to be done immediately, but the facility didn't have access to appropriate funding. So, the CEO got creative.
Healthcare Finance News talked to Debra Miller, director of health policy for the Council of State Governments, about the top five health policy issues states are focused on in 2014.