Revenue Cycle Management Healthcare News

Healthcare Services Cost More at Hospital Outpatient Departments

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Costs for common medical procedures were up to 58 percent higher when they were performed in a hospital outpatient department compared to a doctor’s office, an analysis from the Blue Cross Blue...

Healthcare Orgs Address Price Transparency, 340B Policies in OPPS

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Hospital and specialty groups are urging CMS to amend aspects of the CY 2024 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule, including 340B Drug Pricing Program policies and price...

Provider Groups Oppose Proposed Payment Cuts in Physician Fee Schedule

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Provider organizations have made it clear they are not happy with the payment cuts CMS proposed in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Additionally, groups have voiced concerns about...

AMA 2024 CPT Code Set Addresses Language Barriers, Immunization Codes

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The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the 2024 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set, which addresses language barriers by including Spanish descriptors of medical services. Each...

NAACOS: Medicare Payment Incentives Favor Clinicians in Fee-For-Service

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Medicare payment incentives favor clinicians participating in fee-for-service models rather than those in advanced alternative payment models (APMs), according to the National Association of...

As PCPs Integrate With Health Systems, Steering Increases Costs

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A new study out of Harvard University links vertical relationships between primary care physicians (PCPs) and health systems to “steering,” in which providers refer patients to specialists...

CMS Proposes Minimum Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes

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CMS has proposed minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, requiring facilities to provide residents with at least three hours of care per day. The Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care...

1 in 3 Healthcare Workers Plan to Leave Their Position, Survey Finds

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A third of surveyed healthcare workers plan to leave their job in the next year, according to new data from Tebra. Over 500 healthcare workers responded to the online survey in spring 2023. While one...

AHA Opposes Proposed Payment Cuts for Home Health Providers

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The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging CMS to reconsider the payment cuts included in the CY 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) proposed rule. Specifically, the trade...

Hospital Financial Performance Continued Downward Trend in July

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Hospital financial performance worsened in July 2023, with patient volumes, revenue, and operating margins falling, data from Kaufman Hall revealed. The most recent edition of the National Hospital...

Allina Health Ends Medical Billing Practice Based on Past-Due Debt

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Nonprofit health system Allina Healthcare will end its medical billing practice of denying non-emergency care to patients with medical debt, the New York Times reported. The policy change comes...

AHA Calls for Easier On-Ramp for Bundled Payments, Episode-Based Payments

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The American Hospital Association wants it to be easier for hospitals nationwide to begin adopting episode-based payment models, such as bundled payments, the trade association wrote in a recent letter...

Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs Saved $1.8B in 2022, CMS Reports

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The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved Medicare $1.8 billion in 2022, with 63 percent of accountable care organizations (ACOs) earning payments for their performance. This is the sixth...

Hospitals, Health Systems Recognized for Price Transparency Compliance

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Fifteen hospitals and health systems have been recognized for their compliance with the federal price transparency regulations. PatientRightsAdvocate.org created The Price Transparency Champion Award...

Middle-Class Americans Face Highest Rates of Medical Debt Burden

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Middle-class Americans have the most medical debt across all ages, races, and education levels, a new report found. The report from think tank organization Third Way used the Census’s Survey of...

OHSU, Legacy Health Sign Letter of Intent to Form Integrated Health System

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Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Legacy Health have signed a letter of intent to merge and form an integrated health system in the Portland metro area. The OHSU and Legacy boards of...

CMS Updates ACO REACH Model for 2024 to Improve Health Equity

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CMS has announced revisions to the ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH) model to improve health equity and predictability for participants. CMS replaced the Direct...

MGMA: EFT Fees Imposed by Health Plans Are Hurting Providers

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Electronic funds transfer (EFT) fees imposed by health plans and third-party vendors are increasing costs and administrative burdens for healthcare practices, according to a position paper from the...

Study Can’t Link Hospital Competition to Quality Improvements

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A study out of the University of Michigan cannot identify a clear relationship between surgical outcomes and the level of competition a hospital faces. The study recently published in JAMA Surgery...