A brief guide to the health-equity journey
Over the past few years, our nation has seen an intensified focus on health equity. Spurred in part by the pandemic, which laid bare the vast human cost of remediable health disparities, both civil society and government are increasingly focused on improving health equity. So are healthcare organizations themselves, many of which are launching or…
Strategic alternatives abound for health system outreach laboratories
Various industry pressures have accelerated an evolution in laboratory businesses in recent years, with particular impacts on labs owned by health systems. As a result, many health systems are considering alternatives for their labs, with an emphasis on outreach labs. A health system’s outreach lab business includes tests ordered for patients primarily in non-acute settings…
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…
News Briefs: The expiration of the COVID-19 PHE brings an end to key provisions
The termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11 meant providers lost many of the accommodations and regulatory flexibilities that were in place since Jan. 31, 2020. For example, Medicare’s 20% add-on payment for treating COVID-19 cases in the inpatient setting no longer is available. With reported cases and hospitalizations steadily trending…
Mayo Clinic CFO Dennis Dahlen preparing for his year as HFMA’s National Chair
After several decades spent making an impact at the healthcare organizational level, Dennis Dahlen is moving into a prime position to use his expertise for the benefit of stakeholders across the industry. The opportunity could not come at a more important juncture. The urgency is reflected in Dahlen’s theme for the new fiscal year, which…
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…
How the balance sheet can contribute to performance improvement
Significant opportunities for cost savings, enhanced liquidity and improved efficiencies lie within an organization’s debt structure, treasury operations and real estate portfolio. There has always been a connection between performance improvement initiatives and the balance sheet. By reducing operating costs, boosting productivity and enhancing revenues, a successful performance improvement initiative bolsters an organization’s financial performance.…
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…
Hospital price transparency updates include stricter enforcement, new fines and pending legislation
(Note: The last section of this article was updated May 24 where noted to reflect developments in Congress.) Enforcement of hospital price transparency regulations is becoming stricter, with CMS implementing new policies and recently fining two hospitals. Changes were anticipated after CMS leaders authored an article in February that reported 70% compliance in 2022, the…
Congress seems inclined to expand site-neutral payment policies in Medicare (updated)
Momentum is building in Congress toward expanding site-neutral payment in Medicare, a move that could reduce payments to hospitals by billions of dollars per year. A recent hearing, which lasted 5 ½ hours, focused on various ideas for promoting transparency and competition in healthcare. The hearing included references to 17 bills or discussion drafts, several…