Revenue Cycle Management Healthcare News

Hospital Consolidation Tied to Loss of Inpatient Pediatric Services

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Joining a health system was associated with a loss of inpatient pediatric services at hospitals, suggesting hospital consolidation can impact access to care for children, a study published in JAMA...

About a Quarter of Residents in 18 States Have Medical Debt

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Medical debt is a problem for Americans, with as many as a quarter of residents in 18 states having medical debt in collections, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. The states with the...

UPMC, Washington Health System Sign Letter of Intent to Affiliate

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The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has signed a letter of intent to acquire Washington Health System (WHS), a move that will help WHS maintain patient access to high-quality care. The...

KLAS Report Shares Top Outsourcing Firms for Healthcare Coding Services

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As healthcare organizations turn to outsourcing firms for coding services, they value vendors that excel in communication, coding quality, and staff retention, according to a KLAS report. Outsourcing...

Lawmakers Seeking Stakeholder Input to Improve 340B Drug Pricing Program

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A group of bipartisan lawmakers is seeking feedback from stakeholders on how Congress can improve the 340B Drug Pricing Program and ensure transparency and stability within the program. US Sens. John...

AMA Opposes Non-Compete Agreements for Hospital-Employed Physicians

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The American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates has voted to oppose non-compete agreements for physicians employed by hospitals or staffing companies. Non-compete agreements prohibit...

AHA Condemns FTC’s Unconstitutional Antitrust Enforcement Practices

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The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging an appeals court to prevent the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from breaking up a biotechnology acquisition, stating that the agency’s antitrust...

340B Program Enrollment Led to More Oncology Services at Rural Hospitals

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Rural hospitals that participated in the 340B Drug Pricing Program were more likely to introduce oncology services than facilities that did not enroll in the program, a study published in Health...

Healthcare Spending to Pick Up Pace, Reaching $7.2T by 2031

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National healthcare spending slowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) as the entire industry experienced severe disruptions to standard care. Now that the PHE has ended, healthcare...

AHA Decries Inpatient Prospective Payment System Update

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The proposed market basket update in the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for the 2024 fiscal year (FY) is “woefully inadequate,” according to the American Hospital Association...

Study: Hospital Spends $5M Per Year on Quality Reporting

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Quality reporting is now a core function in healthcare, enabling value-based payment, transparency and accountability, and provider comparisons, to name a few benefits. However, quality data...

Rising Expenses May Jeopardize Hospitals’ Financial Stability

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Hospital operating margins remained positive in April, but expenses continue to rise year-over-year, threatening future stability, a report from Syntellis Performance Solutions found. The report draws...

AMA: US Healthcare System Headed for Success After 2022 Hurdles

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Medicare payment cuts and physician burnout continue to hurt the country’s healthcare system, but federal and state policies implemented in the past year have created a promising path forward,...

CMS Primary Care Model Provides Value-Based Path for Practices

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CMS will test a new primary care model in eight states with the hopes of improving patient care and increasing value-based opportunities for primary care organizations. The Making Care Primary (MCP)...

AHA: Health Insurer Policies Fuel Physician Practice Acquisitions

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Health insurer policies are increasing administrative burden for independent physician practices, pushing them to seek employment in other settings and fueling physician practice acquisitions, a report...

Most Practices Not Joining Enhancing Oncology Model, Survey Finds

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Most oncology practices are not planning to participate in the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), citing concerns about the risk arrangements and inadequate incentive payments, a survey from the Community...

Nonprofit Hospitals Offer Less Charity Care Despite Rising Profits

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Nonprofit hospitals are directing profit increases toward cash reserves instead of charity care, a study published in Health Affairs found. Hospitals use cash reserves to cover capital costs, offset...

OIG: Medicare Overpayments Due to Coding Discrepancies Totaled $22.5M

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Medicare improperly paid practitioners at a higher non-facility rate for services provided to skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital inpatients, leading to over $22 million in overpayments, a...

BJC, Saint Luke’s Announce Plans to Form Integrated Health System

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BJC HealthCare of St. Louis (BJC) and Saint Luke’s Health System of Kansas City (Saint Luke’s) have signed a letter of intent to merge and form an integrated health system to improve...

CMS Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

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CMS has formally withdrawn the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, according to a final rule published in the Federal Register today. The Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination...