IPPS FY23 proposed rule: Tweaks are in store for Medicare’s quality-reporting and pay-for-performance programs
Temporary modifications to two pay-for-performance programs would ensure hospitals don’t face penalties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Latest financial metrics for hospitals show reasons for optimism but also persistent challenges
Hospital financial performance partially recovered in March as patient volumes returned to something closer to normal after a significant downturn during the omicron wave.
The negative effect of fat bias on health outcomes
Cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos discusses weight bias in healthcare, including what health indicators to focus on instead of weight and how to help patients who are at risk improve their health outcomes without explicit or implicit fat shaming.
M&A update: A quiet quarter for hospital deal-making reflects the ongoing consequences of the pandemic
Merger-and-acquisition activity among hospitals and health systems remained well under pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2022.
Steve LeFar talks about the implications of care deferrals due to COVID-19
The economic and social impacts from deferred healthcare due to COVID-19 were already a major concern in the pandemic’s first year, portending severe declines in health status for Americans who stopped seeking care for fear of exposure to the coronavirus. In this Q&A, Strata Decision Technology’s Steve Lefar shares insights based on extensive data that tell the story of deferred care across the nation, and the likelihood that providers will see a rising tide of severely ill patients.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: CMS seeks to bolster maternal health through a new public-facing hospital designation
Hospitals could attain the “Birthing Friendly” designation by attesting to having implemented best practices in maternal health.
Paul Keckley: Inflation’s impact on healthcare: 5 takeaways
For healthcare finance professionals, healthcare inflation requires intensified efforts to address five concerns: increased bad debt, increased operating costs, heightened public scrutiny of pricing policies and executive compensation, increased competition by privately funded competitors offering low-cost solutions and growth of “Occupy Healthcare” movements.
Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, April 2022
The April 2022 edition of HFMA’s Cost Effectiveness of Health Report includes a preview the May issue of hfm, which focuses on telehealth, a key tool for promoting value-based care CEoH. Another article explores ways to promote health equity in revenue cycle processes, and a case study describes how one health system embarked on an initiative to achieve greater diversity among its revenue cycle staff.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: Medicare proposes changes to methodology for determining graduate medical education payments to teaching hospitals
The biggest change is an effort to comply with a court ruling on weighted FTE slots, while another change affects sharable slots for certain rural hospitals.
Why people and process are the keys to revenue cycle innovation
Michael Duke, an author and partner within the commercial healthcare segment at Guidehouse, discusses how people and process should take precedence over technology in revenue cycle. He also talks about how sponsor organization Red Dot can assist teams that are struggling with motor vehicle accident accounts.