Healthcare News of Note: McKinsey analyzes a range of scenarios based on the infectiousness, immune evasion and severity of disease linked to the omicron variant
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An in-depth analysis looked at what the U.S. can expect with the onslaught of the omicron variant, CMS rescinded a drug pricing model, and total healthcare utilization in 2020 dipped below 2019 levels.
Enabling change requires organizational self-awareness
A company principal and leader breaks down successful organizational change management strategy factors, such as current culture, influencer networks and effective communication and education channels.
Survey: Health systems push toward risk-based payment models, payer-provider partnerships
Check out the key takeaways from a survey conducted in Summer 2021 with healthcare executives, which focused on risk-based models, data issues, leaders’ concerns on hitting budgets and more.
As COVID-19 vaccination deadlines arrive for healthcare providers, CMS offers explanatory resources
As the deadlines arrive for providers to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, CMS has made various resources available to help healthcare entities determine whether and when the regulations apply to them.
HHS’s Office of Inspector General announces audit of providers’ COVID-19 billing practices
OIG has announced an audit of Provider Relief Fund recipients to ensure they did not balance-bill presumptive or actual COVID-19 patients.
Hospitals need federal support to handle the ongoing staffing and financial crunch, industry leaders say
The hospital industry issued its latest plea for additional federal help to mitigate the financial and operational strain of COVID-19, including surging staffing costs.
Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, February 2022
The January 2022 edition of HFMA’s Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, explores key tactics successful independent community hospitals use to help them sustain their mission to the communities they serve. Also included is a preview of the first of a series of columns by hfm columnist David Johnson addressing the need for nonprofit health systems to address 5 structural defects that keep them from delivering truly high-quality care to patients.
Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, December 2021
The December HFMA’s Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, leads off with the fourth and final report for 2021 in HFMA’s Healthcare 2030 series, focused on the long-term direction of strategic investment for hospitals and health systems. Also included are an article describing a new “employer-friendly” model of center of excellence and a commentary on how the FDA’s accelerated approval process may unintentionally be increasing the nation’s drug expense.
Healthcare M&A update: A quiet 2021 could give way to strategic shifts in 2022
The year 2021 was one of the least busy on record for healthcare mergers and acquisitions, but volume should pick up in 2022.
U.S. healthcare system is poised to begin a new phase in partnerships
Healthcare provider organizations should prepare for an emerging new phase in the evolution of healthcare partnerships, characterized by an increasingly diverse array of choices among care sites and settings for consumers, health plans and employers. In responding to the opportunities presented in this new partnership phase, providers should adopt a strategy that applies important lessons learned during the pandemic.