Healthcare News of Note: How to prevent pediatric mental health revisits
A new study provides a better understanding of the trends and factors associated with an increase in pediatric mental health ED revisits. Black and brown skin tones are underrepresented in medical training and textbooks, which can lead to missed diagnoses and inequities in care. Dermatologists are doing what they can to address the issue. A…
Healthcare News of Note: What were the 5 most-read Healthcare News of Note blog entries of 2022?
This week’s edition of Healthcare News of Note is devoted to the top five Healthcare News of Note blog posts from 2022. Find out what topics healthcare finance professionals found most interesting in this year-end wrap-up.
Healthcare News of Note: Cancer is now the top driver of large employers’ healthcare costs
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: The No. 1 driver of healthcare costs for large employers is cancer, the gender pay gap for physicians has gotten larger, and NRC Health names the top facilities for consumer loyalty and patient experience.
Healthcare News of Note: Americans have less confidence in the nation’s healthcare system
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Confidence in the U.S. healthcare system dips again, the median proposed health insurance premium increase for 2023 is about 10%, and improved oral care in hospitals can prevent pneumonia.
Healthcare News of Note: U.S. hospitals performed 106,474 unnecessary procedures on older adults during the ‘dangerous’ first year of COVID-19
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: 106,474 unnecessary procedures were performed on older adults in hospitals early in the pandemic, 55% of patients in rural areas relied on telehealth to receive outpatient mental health and substance use services in March-August 2021, and women and people of color with chest pain wait longer to be seen by a physician.
Healthcare News of Note: Department of Justice files formal challenge to UnitedHealth Group’s proposed acquisition of Change Healthcare
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Hospitals react positively to news that the U.S. DoJ will challenge a proposed merger between UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare, $265 billion of care services could shift from traditional settings to the home by 2025, and a study says the level of community benefit provided by nonprofit hospitals is poorly aligned with the tax subsidy they receive.
Healthcare News of Note: A majority of physicians fear they missed signs of drug misuse during the pandemic and predict drug overdose deaths will rise, says a Quest Diagnostics report
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Physicians fear they missed signs of drug misuse during the pandemic, improved technology use is seen in patient engagement, and the majority of Medicaid health plans have a health equity plan.
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.
Addressing U.S. healthcare system challenges requires a focus on improving health, not just care
If we are to effectively address the huge cost challenges facing the U.S. health system, we must begin to better address the cost effectiveness of health, says Todd Nelson, HFMA’s director of professional practice and partner relationships. And it has to be through a collaborative process involving all stakeholders, he says, including not just hospitals and health systems, physicians and health plans but also patients and their communities, as well as society overall.