Healthcare pricing update: 2 experts call for greater regulation
Recent price increases have been slower in healthcare than in the economy at large, but two healthcare economists say the long-term price trends should be addressed through regulation.
Healthcare News of Note: Americans living in rural areas face an increased risk of death, in part due to issues with healthcare access, says a new infographic
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Issues with healthcare access contribute to an increased risk of death for rural residents, many workers struggle to pay for healthcare deductibles, and hospital and physician office markups on certain drugs escalate consumer costs.
340B advocacy group releases survey results showing the financial toll of drug manufacturers’ curbs on discounts
Among hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a new report finds that steps taken by drug manufacturers to restrict discounts have had a significant impact.
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news articles: An in-depth analysis looked at what the U.S. can expect with the onslaught of the omicron variant, CMS rescinded a drug pricing model, and total healthcare utilization in 2020 dipped below 2019 levels.
Studies find glaring issues with federal price transparency requirements
The first year of federal price transparency regulations for hospitals hasn’t had high rates of compliance, nor has it consistently led to actionable information for consumers, according to two new studies.
2 new studies illustrate the burden of healthcare costs in the pandemic era
An annual report by CMS actuaries quantified the extent to which healthcare costs accelerated during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a separate survey looked at affordability.
Additional requirements are needed to make healthcare price transparency worthwhile, report states
Updates to price transparency regulations should address compliance and formatting and incorporate new data elements.
Healthcare News of Note: U.S. will be short 3.2 million lower-wage healthcare workers within 5 years, says Mercer
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Shortages of lower-wage healthcare workers, nurses, physicians and mental health staff are expected, PHI security and burnout are of concern to most healthcare professionals, and the pandemic is expected to affect health insurance rates.
Healthcare price transparency initiatives may fall flat due to systemic factors, expert says
Niall Brennan, a leading expert on healthcare cost drivers, is among the skeptics who doubt the ongoing price transparency push can result in a more efficient system.
Research examines whether financial challenges facing hospitals with large Medicare populations lead indirectly to cost shifting
Harvard researchers found evidence to suggest that hospitals with large shares of Medicare patients are at greater risk of being acquired, which can skew the market structure and lead to higher commercial prices.