The latest on hospital finances: Signs of improvement, but margins remain tight
Industry-level hospital financial insights reflect the mixed results of a recovery that’s in progress but is expected to be a long slog. In a 2023 midyear report (login required), Moody’s Investors Service noted that margins are below 3% for a third of the company’s rated hospitals. Before the pandemic, only about 6% had margins in…
Service-line strategies require reevaluating in light of operational realities
The many operational and financial headwinds that are buffeting health systems should prompt leadership teams to revisit the strategic direction, goals and performance of their service lines and clinical programs. Health systems are facing significant — and likely permanent — structural shifts in operating costs, staffing and options for where many procedures can be delivered.…
4 points healthcare leaders should consider in their cyberinsurance calculus
In spring of 2023, two ransomware groups, Cl0p (or CLOP, per the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency) and LockBit, attacked 130 organizations in the United States, many of them in healthcare.a Fortunately for healthcare organizations with cybersecurity insurance, those breaches would have been eligible for coverage. Yet the same may not have been true for…
In proposed regulations, CMS seeks to strengthen hospital price transparency requirements
Hospital price transparency regulations are undergoing changes heading into their fourth year as CMS seeks to step up enforcement while making compliance more straightforward. As part of the 2024 proposed rule for hospital outpatient payments, CMS is adding to the requirement for hospitals to maintain a machine-readable file of their charges for services. In addition,…
Some of the best from HFMA’s Annual Conference in Nashville
Revisiting your investment strategy with Lisa Schneider of Russell Investments and PayMedix CEO Tom Policelli discusses why payment is so confusing for patients.
Healthcare Blame Game, Live From HFMA’s Annual Conference in Nashville
The Blame Game team takes on HFMA's Annual Conference in Nashville in a discussion about what hospitals get right and wrong.
10 Vital Responses to Healthcare Disruption
Disruption is reverberating throughout the healthcare industry, and it’s incumbent on legacy organizations to develop strategic responses for the benefit of their consumers, their communities and themselves. With that overarching challenge becoming ever more pressing, HFMA’s 2023 Spring Thought Leadership Retreat brought together leaders from across the industry May 4-5 in Atlanta to consider approaches…
Annual Conference: Houston Methodist uses AI in virtual models for critical care, patient observation and more
Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving innovation in clinical operations at the Houston Methodist hospital system, as explained during a presentation this week at HFMA’s Annual Conference. Among other virtual-care programs developed by the organization’s innovation center, Houston Methodist has incorporated a virtual ICU and virtual observation in the inpatient setting. Both programs use AI to…
Annual Conference: How Mayo Clinic establishes the mindset and processes that foster innovation
Hospitals and health systems must adapt their practices using an innovator’s mindset to keep up with the change sweeping the industry, according to a presentation this week at HFMA’s Annual Conference. “Innovation, at this point in our industry’s landscape, is pretty critical,” said Praveen Mekala, enterprise division chair with Mayo Clinic, referring to the problems…
Annual Conference: Healthcare entrepreneur Alex Oshmyansky describes his efforts to disrupt drug pricing
Arguably no segment of the healthcare industry is more susceptible to disruption than the market for prescription drugs, as Alex Oshmyansky, MD, PhD, made clear Wednesday morning during the closing session of HFMA’s Annual Conference. Oshmyansky spoke about his personal efforts to disrupt the pharmaceutical market in his role as co-founder and CEO of Mark…