Automation from documentation capture to code: Insights from healthcare finance leaders
Read tips on strengthening return on investment and engagement as well as the role of process automation in navigating the documentation and workforce challenges facing healthcare in this roundtable with hospital leaders.
Hospitals push back against a coordinated effort to revamp the 340B program
A lobbying fight has started over the future of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, with hospitals seeking to protect what they view as an essential source of cost savings. The advocacy group 340B Health and prominent hospital associations are seeking to repel an effort led by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to…
New guidance for No Surprises Act arbitration looks like an improvement for providers
Responding to a recent court ruling, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated the application of criteria for deciding No Surprises Act (NSA) independent dispute resolution (IDR) cases. Certified IDR entities (i.e., arbitrators) received guidance March 17 instructing them to more directly consider multiple factors when deciding on an out-of-network payment…
Here comes the Medicaid unwinding: The healthcare industry braces for coverage disruptions
A potentially tumultuous period for revenue cycle teams in particular and the U.S. healthcare system in general begins April 1, with the phasing out of a three-year run of Medicaid continuous enrollment. The so-called Medicaid “unwinding” originally was connected to end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), which is scheduled for May 11. But…
Healthcare Blame Game: How Kaiser Health News mistook policy for practice in hospital collections report
Brad Dennison is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He served 15 years as the top news executive for multiple national organizations and led thousands of journalists across the U.S., including investigative teams. He’s also a past board member of the Associated Press Media Editors, where he was elected national chair. Dennison joined HFMA…
The media blame game regarding patient financial conversations
Brad Dennison, HFMA chief content executive, discusses the March hfm cover story about patient-friendly payment and what some media organizations get wrong.
Data capture and coding for social determinants of health are works in progress, per reports
In the effort to bring social determinants of health (SDoH) more under the purview of healthcare providers, one tricky aspect is establishing a data and coding infrastructure. Recent reports highlight this challenge. For example, a survey conducted for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) found that although 78% of 2,637 respondents said their organizations…
Navigating payer practices to reduce denials and enhance outcomes
The friction between payers and providers has existed for decades. It’s understandable to an extent. Payers want to reduce expensive and unnecessary treatment, eliminate fraud and lower financial risk. Providers want to be able to make decisions regarding their patients’ care without having to navigate the hurdles of medical necessity, prior authorization and complex payer…
Point-of-service collection goes better if the right strategies and tactics are employed
Improving point-of-service (POS) collection has long been a topic of discussions across healthcare organizations struggling to meet collection goals. But the global pandemic and its aftermath have intensified the need for more effective strategies to meet this challenge while keeping a patient-centered focus. Health systems need to adopt new strategies that will support a positive…
Hospitals require an integrated team approach to ensuring revenue integrity
Healthcare organizations cannot expect to achieve financial sustainability without having a deliberate focus on ensuring revenue integrity. Only with such a focus can they deliver programs and services that are essential for coordinating internal efforts to maintain operational efficiency, compliance and optimal payment. For this reason, few finance or revenue cycle leaders would discount its…