Accountable Care News

Medical Device Reps in OR Sway Healthcare Supply Chain Costs

August 25, 2016 - Medical device sales representatives may act as key resources for surgeons on the latest technological advances and how to properly use specific devices, but the close relationship may actually be driving up healthcare supply chain costs, according to a recent study in PLOS ONE. “While surgeons view themselves as indisputably in charge, device...

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HHS Awards $100M to Health Centers for Quality Improvement

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The Department of Health and Human Services recently granted over $100 million in awards to 1,304 health centers across the nation to help improve care quality and boost primary care services, according...

How the Affordable Care Act Impacted Healthcare Revenue Cycle

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From the transition to value-based care to the rise in patient consumerism, the Affordable Care Act has significantly changed the healthcare revenue cycle management landscape since its passage in 2010....

AHA: Limiting Low-Value Medical Resource Use Cuts Healthcare Costs

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While it is always reassuring to know that a provider will stop at nothing to diagnosis and treat his patients, limiting some medical resource use may actually help to decrease healthcare costs and...

Physician Shortages Drive Increases in Provider Compensation

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The nationwide physician shortage continues to put pressure on healthcare organizations to retain quality employees by boosting employee compensation and providing incentives to stay at the organization,...

Healthcare Employment Increases Challenge Provider Orgs

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Despite significant increases in healthcare employment rates this year, employers and providers are still facing many challenges when it comes to delivering high quality care, such as physician burnout...

Monitoring Care Delivery Key to Reducing Healthcare Costs

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Lowering actual healthcare costs that providers incur while delivering care to patients is the key to making healthcare more affordable, according to a new Chilmark Research study. While payers are...

Hospitals Face Healthcare Employment Challenges, High Turnover

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Recent healthcare employment trends could spell trouble for hospital revenue cycles across the nation. As quality and volume pressures continue to create difficult operational circumstances, some...

Hospital Profitability Rises by 35% in Oregon After ACA Passage

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Hospital profitability has increased for healthcare organizations across Oregon since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, which enabled more individuals to become insured, the Oregon...

Non-ACO Hospitals Outperform ACOs in Value-Based Care Programs

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To usher in the age of value-based care, CMS has implemented several value-based care programs and introduced various alternative payment models, such as accountable care organizations (ACO). These...

Healthcare Costs Concerns Impact Provider Rationing Behavior

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It is not uncommon to hear patients say that healthcare costs are going up, especially as more individuals enroll in high-deductible health plans. But, some providers oftentimes question if they should...

HRSA Grants to Boost Healthcare Employment for Primary Care

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced over $149 million in awards to support healthcare employment efforts to increase the number of primary care providers, the federal...

The Future of Accountable Care Organizations Involves Risk

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As many healthcare providers know, participating in a value-based care program, such as an accountable care organization, is about more than just tying payment to quality.  It involves shouldering...

CMS Shares Open Payments Data to Boost Healthcare Transparency

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Healthcare vendors and manufacturers have spent $7.52 billion in payments and ownership and investment interests to providers and teaching hospitals in 2015, according to a press release from CMS. The...

Characteristics of Successful Accountable Care Organizations

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As the number of accountable care organizations (ACO) continues to grow, many healthcare providers are all too familiar with the alternative payment model’s overarching goals of improving care...

Only One-Third of Physicians Approve of Value-Based Care Models

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Value-based care models represent the future of patient care and reimbursement structures for most healthcare stakeholders, but some providers may not have such positive views on new payment and care...

Value-Based Care Implementation Delayed for Most Hospitals

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While the federal government has announced explicit goals for implementing value-based care models in the next few years, some healthcare providers may not be ready to completely do away with traditional...

$2.75B in Unexpected Healthcare Spending Impacts VA Budget

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The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) has encountered $2.75 billion in unanticipated healthcare spending  during the 2015 fiscal year due to an increase in community care program...

Hospital M&A Driving Variation in Healthcare Costs by Site

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As patients are encouraged to shop around for the best price for medical services, many may be shocked to discover how healthcare costs can differ depending on where a patient receives care. These price...

AHA: Commercial ACO Tax Ruling Impedes Value-Based Care Models

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By stripping commercial accountable care organizations (ACOs) of their charitable tax exempt status, the IRS could be threatening the future of value-based care and care coordination, according to the...

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