Cover Story
Exploring Health Plan-Provider Partnerships
The increased burden on provider organizations resulting from value-based payment programs may be alleviated by a strategic data-sharing arrangement with a health plan.
By Will Stabler
From the President’s Desk
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Expanding on thoughts in his December 2017 column in hfm, HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA, presents a holiday challenge to healthcare finance leaders. |
HFMA Video Spotlight
Video: How Business Offices Can Transmit Medical Records More Securely
Lula Jensen, former director of product management for MRO, discusses steps business offices can take to make the transmission of medical records more secure and to lower the risk of a breach.
Early Edition
Costing Practices in Healthcare Organizations: A Look at Adoption of ABC
Three surveys, conducted over two decades, provide insight into healthcare organizations’ perspectives on activity-based costing (ABC) and larger industry trends regarding adoption of ABC.
By Raef Lawson, PhD, CFA, CMA, CPA
Commentary
Pharmacy Costs: Are You Paying for Value Yet?
Insurers are setting precedents for value-based payment for medications.
By Ifrad Islam and Laurence Eng
Integration
After a Healthcare Consolidation: A Checklist for Making It Work
To ensure a healthcare consolidation moves forward effectively after the deal is closed, the parties should employ a detailed checklist of points to address during this stage, including revisiting expectations and creating a road map for change.
By Keith D. Moore, MCP and Dean C. Coddington
On Point
MACRA’s Quality Payment Program in 2018: What Hospitals Need to Know
Hospitals are not exempt from the impacts of the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act (MACRA), and they therefore should understand the provisions of the recently issued final rule on MACRA’s Quality Payment Program.
By Lia Winfield, PhD
Features
Commentary
Two Sides to the APM Coin: Why APMs Work for Some and Not For Others
Integrated delivery systems are at a disadvantage under alternative payment models (APMs), which has hindered the success of these models; redesigning how shared savings are distributed to address this disadvantage may help promote the success of APMs.
By Luis Rivera, MBA
Reducing SNF Readmissions Through Hospital-SNF Collaboration
A hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) in Michigan have established an effective and innovative collaboration aimed at reducing avoidable readmissions to the hospital.
By Raymond J. Higbea, PhD, FACHE, Steve Marzolf, and Donald Haney
How to Perform a Pre-Transaction ‘Stress Test’ on a Proposed Healthcare Merger or Partnership
A healthcare organization should not move forward with any proposed merger or partnership without first performing a structured assessment to confirm that the arrangement is viable.
By Stephen Gelineau and Robert Green
Enterprise Risk Management: A Key Success Factor Under Value-Based Care
To be successful in a value-based payment environment, hospitals and health systems must undertake an integrated approach to managing risk across their enterprises.
By Mark Troutman
More Than a ZIP Code: Socioeconomic Data for Improving Patient Outcomes
The shift to value is encouraging healthcare providers to tap into previously underutilized resources to gather useful patient data.
By Erin Benson
Focus Area
Mergers and Acquisitions
The Independence Question
As healthcare mergers and acquisitions grow in popularity, smaller hospitals are faced with the question of whether—and how long—to remain independent.
By Michael N. Abrams, MA and Michael J. Kuchenreuther, PhD
Columns
From the Chair
Health Care Needs Innovative Collaboration
Healthcare finance professionals should be passionate, purposeful, and innovative in collaborating with others to help address the financial hardships patients face from serious illness and the underlying total cost of care.
By Carol A. Friesen, FHFMA, MPH
From the President
Reflections on the True Spirit of the Holidays
HFMA President and CEO Joe Fifer sets forth three challenges to healthcare leaders who want to ensure that their work makes a difference in people’s lives.
By Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA
Eye on Washington
A National Conversation About Patient Safety and Medical Errors
Findings of a survey about the public’s experience and understanding of medical errors suggest a public health approach is needed to address patient safety.
By Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS
Healthcare Value
New Directions in Healthcare Innovation
James H. Landman reflects on HFMA’s 11th annual Thought Leadership Retreat.
By James H. Landman, JD, PhD
Capital Finance
Terminating Swap Positions
Health system financial executives may want to consider whether they would terminate legacy swap positions in a higher rate environment.
By Eric A. Jordahl
Departments
Etcetera
Book Rescue
One man helps book owners save books they value highly because of the profound impact the tomes have had on their lives. How many hobbies can help families preserve their legacy?
Supplements
Business Profile
Grant Thornton: Facilitating EAM
Bill Slama and Ken Deakyne of Grant Thornton LLP Business Consulting and Technology and Technology Solutions Services discuss the importance of enterprise asset management.
Executive Roundtable
Change Healthcare: Healthcare Consumerism and Transparency in the Revenue Cycle
As patients are held financially responsible for larger portions of their healthcare bills, they are seeking greater transparency about care costs, causing healthcare organizations to rethink their revenue cycles—especially regarding pricing and cost estimation.
Trendsetter
Reimagining Physician Preference Items Why Value—Not Cost—Is the Name of the Game
This article discusses how Premier worked with a large, mid-Atlantic, urban medical center to develop a defined, value-focused, data-driven methodology that optimizes the high-value implant-selection process.
