CMS proposes to restrict Medicare coverage of a high-profile new Alzheimer’s drug
Medicare will pay for use of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease only for patients in approved clinical trials, CMS said in a proposed coverage determination.
Hospital margins increased in November, but labor expenses remained a drag on finances
A skewed labor market continued to affect hospital finances in November even as operating margins improved from October.
2 new studies illustrate the burden of healthcare costs in the pandemic era
An annual report by CMS actuaries quantified the extent to which healthcare costs accelerated during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a separate survey looked at affordability.
The COVID-19-induced surge in healthcare labor costs is testing hospitals and health systems
Struggles with the pandemic’s financial impact on the healthcare workforce leave few alternatives besides innovation, say industry experts and leaders on the front lines.
Healthcare News of Note: Medicare would save $8 billion a year if all hospitals achieved the outcomes of the most cost-efficient performers, says Lown Institute
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: America’s most cost-effective hospitals are identified, employers have boosted telemedicine and mental health benefits during the pandemic, and risk-based Medicare Advantage models gain popularity with health systems.
Healthcare News of Note: Patients in the U.S. shouldered more than $21B in cancer care costs in 2019
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: U.S. patient cancer care costs totaled $21.09 billion in 2019, healthcare safety scores fell amid the pandemic, and states are leveraging MCO contracts to improve community SDOH.
Healthcare’s top area of vulnerability: cost effectiveness
HFMA President and CEO Joe Fifer discusses some of the ways that healthcare provider organizations are vulnerable to disruption.
Strategic partnership: The key to improved patient experience and revenue cycle outcomes
One company shares advice and trends in addition to how its service offerings can hep healthcare organizations facing challenges, the biggest being people, process and technology.
Site-of-care payment issues get highlighted by UnitedHealthcare and MedPAC
A new report issued by a leading health plan is the latest sign that hospitals and health systems can expect payers to ramp up implementation of site-neutral payments.
Healthcare price transparency initiatives may fall flat due to systemic factors, expert says
Niall Brennan, a leading expert on healthcare cost drivers, is among the skeptics who doubt the ongoing price transparency push can result in a more efficient system.