Gail Wilensky: No Surprises Act — where things stand after 16 months
Few areas of concern within our nation’s healthcare system have caused patients, their families and caregivers more consternation than surprise medical bills. Most of the new protections under the 2020 No Surprises Act became effective on Jan. 1, 2022. Last August, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury released a statement providing…
Kaiser Permanente is set to acquire Geisinger in a deal with major industry ramifications
In a move with implications for healthcare business models, Kaiser Permanente has announced plans to acquire Geisinger and form a new nonprofit organization. Upon acquisition Geisinger will join Risant Health, an organization that is being launched by Kaiser Permanente’s hospital arm. Geisinger and future acquisitions will operate as distinct entities and retain their current branding…
Enterprisewide physician advisor programs are key to improving costs and revenue cycle performance
Making sure physicians understand the financial implications of how they document their care is critical to a health system’s financial sustainability.
Healthcare disruptor Glen Tullman says providers need more of a consumer-centric approach
One of the country’s most prominent healthcare entrepreneurs has a warning for legacy healthcare stakeholders. “Many of you in the audience are leading major health systems, and you’re the hub for healthcare today,” Glen Tullman said during a presentation at the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition, which took place the week of April 17…
Why more is needed to address America’s most prevalent “illness”
Every winter during respiratory illness season, emergency departments (EDs) fill with sick patients. And this past December was no exception, with occupancy surges during a “tripledemic” of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu indicating that the problem is only getting worse. But why? There’s not nearly enough discussion of the culprit. It’s poor…
Laurie Beyer: Routine rounding helps yield financial improvements
If you want to reach Laurie R. Beyer, MBA, CPA, executive vice president and CFO at GBMC HealthCare in Maryland, avoid any time between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. No matter what time of year it is, she will be unavailable to take your call during those times because she will be…
Joe Fifer: The courage to embrace change
During one of my first meetings with HFMA staff in 2012, I advised the assembled staffers that if they thought they’d be sitting next to the same people and doing the same things in a year’s time, they were probably mistaken. When I noticed people squirming in their seats, I hastened to add that I…
Michael Giardina: Why promoting a fitness approach like CrossFit should be a goal for all U.S. health systems
Healthcare organizations that are committed to value-based payment must focus on promoting health – within their patient populations as well as within their communities. And to successfully fulfill the value imperative and achieve the larger goal of cost effectiveness of health (CEoH), hospitals and health systems must partner with outside organizations that share their commitment…
Hospitals are facing a long slog to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, panelists say
The logjam of patients who cannot be seen expeditiously at hospitals is becoming an entrenched problem with no imminent solutions, a CMS leader said this week. “The data tells us healthcare services, particularly for the Medicare population, have not come back to pre-pandemic levels,” said Jonathan Blum, principal deputy administrator and COO with CMS. “We’re…
State of Medicare: Some good news on program solvency still leaves questions and challenges
Medicare should remain solvent a little bit longer than previously anticipated, while a policy debate is ramping up over how to make the program sustainable for the long term. The 2023 annual report of the Medicare Boards of Trustees projects that the Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund, which subsidizes Part A services, essentially will be…