Trends

Clinic visits in hospital settings and 340B payments are among the changes to be aware of in 2019.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital optimizes its advanced practice provider staff to ensure clinicians are working at the top of licenses, improving productivity and cost efficiency. 

When advanced practice provider growth exceeds plans, it can lead to the costly challenges. 

The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center model layers a 50/50 share of any incentive payments on top of a work RVU-based component to account for revenue that is still generated by the number of patients that providers see. 

Legalization of medical marijuana in 46 states raises concerns for hospitals and health systems in terms of administering the drug, patient safety, and staff impact. But sample policies and assistance exist such as three options from the Minnesota Hospital Association.  

CMS reminds healthcare providers that the format for posting is the hospital’s choice, but the information must be “consumer-friendly” and must enable patients to understand their financial liabilities and compare charges for similar services across other hospitals. 

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York has removed prior authorization requirements for more than 500 therapies, services, and procedures in conjunction with its move to value-based payments for primary care providers.

Understanding the five types of negotiating styles allows contracting staff to produce positive results during health plan discussions.

Using human factors—knowledge, attitude, authority, objectivity, and negotiation skills—can help hospital contracting staff develop favorable terms with health plans.

Three Boston hospitals that were recently slapped with HIPAA violations for allowing television crews into their facilities are reminders of the intricacies of patient privacy laws.