Annual Conference: HFMA MAP Award winners for High Performance in Revenue Cycle unveiled
At a time when healthcare executives must balance intensely competing priorities, 15 healthcare organizations have shown they can address revenue and patient engagement challenges successfully and, as a result, have earned a 2023 HFMA MAP Award for High Performance in Revenue Cycle. This year’s group of winners, announced June 25 in Nashville at the HFMA…
MedPAC takes aim at the Medicare wage index and reiterates support for site-neutral payment
In its semiannual report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommends significant changes to two key aspects of Medicare policy: the wage index and site-neutral payment. 1. A revamp of the wage index The wage index consistently generates concern among healthcare stakeholders, including in Medicare’s FY24 proposed rule for hospital inpatient payments. According…
HFMA Enterprise memberships drive engagement, retention, independent study finds
Organizational memberships drive employee engagement, provide clear career development paths and reduce turnover, according to results published in an independent study commissioned by HFMA. Adding to the benefits of association organizational memberships that offer training and education versus a similar individual membership are the cost savings of buying in bulk, which can reduce training costs…
As anticipated, the start of the Medicaid unwinding process has taken a toll on coverage
Fears among healthcare policymakers that the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency would sow chaos in Medicaid have been realized, leading the Biden administration to intensify its mitigation efforts. The end of Medicaid continuous-enrollment provisions is affecting the program in many states. In 21 states that had begun the “unwinding” process since April 1,…
Medicare coverage and coding updates: New Alzheimer’s drugs to be covered, but not universally
Note: This article was updated July 6. For drugs manufactured to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, Medicare will offer coverage with certain qualifications, according to a recent CMS announcement. The new policy especially is relevant because the FDA’s first full approval of an Alzheimer’s disease drug may be only a month or so away.…
Report quantifies the financial impact of certain health plan business practices on providers
As hospitals seek to regain their financial footing coming out of the pandemic, they may find themselves stymied by commercial payer policies, according to a new report. “It’s true that commercial payers might generate more net revenue than public payers on a per-case basis,” Crowe states in a report it recently published. “But at what…
Inside HFMA: 100,000th member reflects on value of HFMA enterprise membership
For LaTasha Bowen, membership in HFMA is synonymous with opportunity — but it’s an opportunity she might not have received without the Association’s enterprise membership program. Bowen is revenue cycle manager for Hughston Clinic, a Columbus, Georgia, medical group specializing in musculoskeletal disorders. While the clinic had been part of HFMA’s MAP Keys program for…
Ann Jordan named HFMA’s new president and CEO
Ann Jordan, JD, begins her tenure as HFMA’s new president and CEO on June 6, becoming the first female executive at the Association’s helm during its 77-year history. “This is an incredibly dynamic time for healthcare finance professionals,” said Jordan in an April 5 news release. “I am honored for the opportunity to join HFMA…
The state of Medicare Advantage: As the program grows, healthcare stakeholders express concerns
As seen during a recent virtual conference, the accelerating expansion of Medicare Advantage (MA) has been accompanied by tension over growing pains such as regulatory issues. “I think MA was set up really well, but like anything else there’s sort of a moment where you have to look at the program and say: How do…
CMS issues RFI to gather best practices for identifying and supporting safety net hospitals
As part of the FY24 proposed rule for hospital inpatient payments, CMS is seeking healthcare stakeholder input on how to best support safety net hospitals in the Medicare program. The agency is considering ways to reimburse safety net hospitals via supplemental payments that may be better targeted than disproportionate share hospital (DSH) and uncompensated care…