hfm: July 2012

Cover Story

The Return of Capitation 0613_hfm_cover : Preparing for Population-Based Health Care

Capitation again seems on track to displace fee-for-service as the industry's predominant payment model. Unlike in the 1990s, the casualties may be the providers that cannot adapt.

By Jonathan Pearce

Features

The Clock is Ticking on Readmission Penalties

Hospitals should focus on three areas where poor performance is contributing to high numbers of Medicare readmissions: execution of the discharge plans, patient education, and coordination of post-discharge care.

By Mark Aspenson, Sunil Hazaray

Web Extra: Learn More About the High Cost of Readmissions

Out of Control: Little-Used Clinical Assets are Draining Healthcare Budgets

Little-used mobile clinical equipment is a significant expense for healthcare organizations, but cutting costs involves more than inventory reduction.

By Ruslan Horblyuk, Kristopher Kaneta, Gary McMillen, Christopher Mullins, Thomas O' Brien, Ankita Roy

11 Critical Questions to Ask when Buying a Physician Practice

Before acquiring a physician practice, hospital leaders should ask themselves 11 questions about keys to strategic and financial success that will help them make rational, evidence-based decisions.

By William Jessee

Health Care and TEM: Managing Costs of Fixed and Mobile Communications

Telecom and wireless expense management (TEM) and (WEM) offer healthcare providers effective means to meet the inherent challenges borne from today's tremendous growth in wireless technologies.

By Michael Lustig

Engaging Patients to Improve the Healthcare Experience

Involving patients and family members in clinical and administrative improvement initiatives can not only provide patients with a better healthcare experience, but also enhance healthcare organizations' overall performance.

By Kristine White

Strange Bed(side) Fellows: Physician-Finance Collaboration

Physicians and financial leaders are working together to solve health care's biggest challenges-cost and quality.

By Rod Fralicx

Focus Areas

Payment

The Budget Control Act: Implications for Medicare

The Budget Control Act of 2011 created a bipartisan congressional committee to develop proposed legislation aimed at reducing the federal deficit. Yet 10 months after the act's ratification, control over the budget deficit is nowhere to be seen.

By Ken Perez

Integration

Managing Margins Through Physician Engagement

The realities of healthcare reform are driving hospitals and physicians to recognize margin management as a key component in securing a financially viable healthcare delivery system for the 21st century.

By Nicholas Sears

Columns

From the Chair

Leading the Way Together

Options abound today for providers to reach out to private payers and physician groups to experiment with innovative payment models.

By Ralph Lawson, FHFMA, CPA

From the President

From Horses to Horsepower

Phase 2 of HFMA's Value Project research includes five recommendations for action steps that value-oriented providers can take now in preparation for value-based payment.

By Joseph Fifer, FHFMA, CPA

From the Editor

Taking Control

Two articles present challenges representing a multitude of risks healthcare organizations face today. And the solutions the authors propose represent a wise approach to coping with these risks.

By Robert Fromberg, Editor-in-Chief

Eye on Washington

Physician Spending Revisited... Once Again

If Congress decides to retain an RBRVS type payment system, it will need to consider whether it wants to modify the SGR in some way rather than remove it entirely.

By Gail Wilensky

Healthcare Value

Recommendations for Delivering Value

HFMA offers recommendations to help provider organizations position themselves for success in the emerging payment environment.

By James Landman

Capital Finance

Real Estate Monetization: An Attractive Source of Hospital Capital

Monetization of non-acute care hospital real estate not only creates additional liquidity for a hospital's balance sheet, but also converts an asset to market value.

By Jeffrey Cooper

Hospital Collections

Compassion, Respect, Effectiveness: Imperatives for Hospital Collections

Communicating clearly with patients has always been a complex process for hospitals. What they need is communication handled with compassion and respect that can help bridge any misunderstanding.

By Richard Gundling

Cost Management

Driving Out Waste in Health Care

Learn why we're wasting every other dollar we spend in health care.

By Mike Alkire

5 Ways To...

5 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Purchased Services

Learn five strategies for finding cost savings related to purchased services.

By Karen Wagner

Data Trends

6 CPT Codes Can Help Hospital Diagnose the Health of Their ED Revenue Cycles

Etcetera