News

OIG: HRSA Made Improper Payments Through COVID-19 Uninsured Program

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) made improper COVID-19 Uninsured Program payments to providers that totaled an estimated $784 million, a report from the Office of Inspect...

Providers Are Outsourcing Revenue Cycle Services Amid Workforce Shortages

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Ambulatory provider organizations are outsourcing their revenue cycle management services as changing payer requirements and workforce shortages create challenges, according to a KLAS report. The...

Q2 2023 Hospital Merger and Acquisition Activity Hit Pre-Pandemic Levels

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Hospital merger and acquisition activity in the second quarter of 2023 returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 20 transactions generating $13.3 billion, a Kaufman Hall report indicated. The 20 deals...

AMA: Physicians Have Moved from Private to Hospital-Owned Practices

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In the last decade, physicians have shifted away from employment opportunities at private practices and are increasingly working at hospital-owned practices, an analysis from the American Medical...

CMS Proposes Payment Cuts in CY24 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

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CMS has proposed payment cuts in its calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), including a 3.34 percent decrease to the conversion factor that would reduce payment rates by 1.25...

OPPS Rule to Update Outpatient Payments, Hospital Price Transparency

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CMS proposes in the Outpatient Prospective Payment (OPPS) rule to increase Medicare outpatient payments by 2.8 percent next year while bolstering hospital price transparency enforcement. The OPPS rule...

HHS Investigates Medical Credit Cards, Installment Loans

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Several federal departments, including HHS, recently announced an inquiry into medical credit cards and installment loans after research suggests that these patient payment options drive up healthcare...

Medical Debt Unevenly Impacts People of Color, Low-Income Residents in NY

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Medical debt in New York State varied widely by geography in 2022, with debt more common among communities of color and those with low incomes, highlighting disparities. The Urban Institute report...

Private Equity Acquisitions Led to Higher Prices at Physician Practices

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Private equity acquisitions of physician practices are becoming more common, leading to price increases ranging from 4 percent to 16 percent, data from the American Antitrust Institute (AAI)...

CMS to Resolve 340B Payment Mixup With $9B Lump-Sum Fix

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CMS has proposed to pay $9 billion to hospitals impacted by payment cuts to the 340B Drug Pricing Program between 2018 and 2022. The proposal is CMS’ remedy to cutting 340B payments from the...

Median Per Person Healthcare Spending Exceeds $6K

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Healthcare spending is still on the rise, with median costs per person increasing to over $6,000 in 2021, according to a new analysis from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Median per person...

MGMA: Nursing Compensation Increases as Staffing Challenges Continue

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Compensation increased for all nursing positions in 2022 as staffing challenges push medical groups to focus on recruitment and retention, a report from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)...

Hospitals with Health Equity Factors Face Value-Based Penalties

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Hospitals with more medically complex patients, uncompensated care, and patients who live alone are more likely to receive a penalty under CMS value-based payment programs, according to a new study...

FTC Proposes Merger Review Changes that Could Impact Healthcare Deals

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have proposed changes to the premerger review process to allow more effective screenings of healthcare deals for competition...

CMS Proposes $375M Cut to Medicare Home Health Payments

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CMS has released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update proposed rule, which includes a 2.2 percent, or $375 million, cut to Medicare home health...

Primary Care Compensation Growth Surpassed Other Specialties in 2022

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Primary care compensation and productivity grew at faster rates than other specialties in 2022, a survey from the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) found. AMGA’s 36th annual Medical...

Hospital Finances Stabilized as Revenues Grew, Expenses Fell

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Hospital finances stabilized in May as operating margins remained positive, revenues increased, and expenses fell, a report from Kaufman Hall shared. The latest report reflects hospital performances...

How Beneficiary Preferences Can Impact Hospital VBP Payment Incentives

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If the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program value weights were based on Medicare beneficiary preferences, nearly $86 million in payment incentives would be reallocated and smaller rural...

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