How to ensure a positive patient financial experience
Creating the ideal patient billing experience not only improves revenue cycle performance, but also boosts patient satisfaction and quality scores.
Report finds fewer than a third of physicians continue to practice independently
About 70% of physicians were employed by health systems or corporate entities such as private equity firms and health plans at the start of 2021.
Government agencies issue the first set of regulations restricting surprise billing
In a development that many healthcare stakeholders have awaited for months, four federal agencies on Thursday, July 1 released new regulations prohibiting surprise billing in many scenarios.
Medicare should update its policies for separately payable drugs in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, MedPAC says
Worthwhile changes include requiring drugs to be proven clinically superior before granting them pass-through payment status, according to a new report.
Healthcare News of Note: Struggling rural hospitals have option to become stand-alone EDs to receive more funding
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An upcoming option for rural hospitals to receive more funding, a key factor in outcomes of Black patients who receive COVID-19 care, and predictions about the hospital room of the future.
Supreme Court leaves Affordable Care Act intact, but stakeholders say healthcare reform still has a ways to go
Hospital advocates applauded a Supreme Court ruling June 17 that left the Affordable Care Act in place.
HHS extends Provider Relief Fund use and reporting as healthcare providers continue to navigate COVID-19 impacts
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced updates to the Provider Relief Fund, including staggering provider deadlines to spend funds.
HHS sends letter to providers, insurers reinforcing requirements for COVID-19 vaccination and testing to be free for all recipients
Xavier Becerra, secretary of HHS, issued a letter emphasizing that out-of-pocket fees for COVID-19-related services are prohibited.
UnitedHealthcare reverses course on new approach to emergency department claims, but perhaps only temporarily
UHC had announced this week that it would evaluate claims starting July 1 to determine whether ED visits were for emergent or nonemergent events.
Looming UnitedHealthcare policy on coverage of emergency department care draws opposition from hospitals, physicians
In a move strongly opposed by provider associations, UnitedHealthcare soon will start denying coverage of ED care that it deems to have been nonemergent.