Healthcare Business Trends

Sept. 24—Not-for-profit hospitals’ operating profitability appears to have peaked two years ago, a rating agency concluded, as it maintained a negative outlook for the sector.

Ken Perez discusses options not-for-profit hospitals should be exploring that go beyond just better management of labor and supply costs in the context of current financial woes.

As healthcare organizations look toward moving into the next phase of innovation, they must not lose sight of their core mission.

Responding to a New Mexico district court’s ruling against the risk-adjustment program established by the Affordable Care Act, CMS initially put the program’s payments to collections and payment on hold, but then took steps to reinstate the program.

Healthcare stakeholders should start treating consumers in the same manner as other industries that operate more like free markets, writes Joseph J. Fifer, president and CEO, HFMA.

A recent investor conference featured presentations by 27 tax-exempt health systems. Common threads include quality and safety and consumer focus.

Investors, bankers, and rating agencies learned about the priorities of 27 health systems during a recent healthcare investor conference. 

Value-based payment is ripe to repeat past fee-for-service problems—widespread slowdowns as each entity took different approaches to data collection and sharing and, as a result, hampering interactions. CAQH CORE is getting in front of these challenges now.

CAQH CORE currently is forming groups to work on healthcare data standardization. Healthcare finance professionals are a core constituent and CAQH welcomes their participation.

Denials management and “keepage” strategies—keeping services within the health system—helped Maricopa Integrated Health Services improve its margins even in the face of a challenging payer mix.