Quality Improvement

Healthcare News of Note: Telehealth aids outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with opioid-use disorder

Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Medicare beneficiaries initiating new episodes of OUD-related care get benefits from telehealth use, changes to inventory management strategies are coming for many sectors, and HAIs hit community hospitals hardest during the pandemic.

Deborah Filipek September 12, 2022

CMS looks to tweak Medicare conditions of participation for critical access hospitals

A recently issued proposed rule includes a few new conditions of participation for critical access hospitals.

Nick Hut July 7, 2022

Why treating chronic diseases may be costing us more than we think

Healthcare providers should revisit short-sighted care protocols for patients with nonconventional chronic conditions; as they stand, the protocols may save costs initially but ultimately lead to poorer outcomes and greater costs.

Martin Bluth June 24, 2022

25% of Medicare patients suffer clinical harm in the hospital, OIG report indicates

A quarter of Medicare patients experienced harm while being treated in hospitals during a single month in 2018, according to a new report from the HHS Office of Inspector General.

Nick Hut May 30, 2022

Hospitalists are more likely than other physicians to choose high-intensity codes for inpatient care, study finds

The billing and coding practices of hospitalists may contribute to the rising cost of hospital care in the U.S., according to conclusions of a new study.

Nick Hut May 18, 2022

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.

Nick Hut May 5, 2022

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.

Nick Hut April 26, 2022

CMS’s overhaul of the Direct Contracting program draws praise from supporters of value-based payment

Value-based payment advocates see reason for optimism in CMS’s recent decision on the future of its Direct Contracting model.

Nick Hut March 4, 2022

Healthcare News of Note: Oracle’s $28.3 billion Cerner deal faces anti-competition scrutiny, and a pension fund sues Cerner for access to files related to the possible merger

Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: The Oracle/Cerner deal is under scrutiny through March 16, minorities in rural areas live farther from hospital services than their white counterparts, and a study shows mental health services could benefit nursing students.

Deborah Filipek March 1, 2022

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.

Deborah Filipek February 25, 2022
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