HHS should ensure 340B hospitals remain eligible despite changes in payer mix, AHA says
Hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program could lose access due to payer mix changes stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic unless HHS issues a waiver.
News briefs: The new COVID-19 relief legislation could result in a big Medicare payment cut
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law March 11, could lead to a significant reduction in Medicare revenues if Congress does not act.
Financial Sustainability Report: February 2021
The February Financial Sustainability Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, explores emerging issues pertaining to physicians, including physician compensation and payment for services. It also includes insight into the impact of denials on value-based payment.
How a health system prepared to comply with CMS’s new price transparency rule
The efforts of one health system to meet state and federal price transparency regulations shows the benefit of integrating transparency efforts into a broader organizational strategy.
Hospitals can use new CMS Condition of Participation regarding ADTs to enhance strategic alignment with independent physicians and post-acute providers
New requirements regarding notifications of admissions, discharges and transfers present both a challenge and a strategic opportunities for hospitals.
Healthcare News of Note: Trump administration diverted nearly $10 billion in funds slated for hospitals to Operation Warp Speed
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles, including the discovery that provider funds were used for Warp Speed operations, the need to retain the Medicare telehealth expansion and healthcare antitrust issues to watch.
After OIG says hospitals may be engaging in upcoding, CMS and AHA dispute the finding
The HHS Office of Inspector General says a significant rise in high-severity inpatient admissions with no corresponding increase in length of stay indicates a possible pattern of upcoding by hospitals in recent years.
Hospital groups ask Supreme Court to reverse payment cuts to 340B hospitals, off-campus provider-based departments
The American Hospital Association and other hospital groups are challenging 2020 appeals court decisions that allow HHS to continue slashing payments to 340B hospitals and to off-campus provider-based departments.
Report: Large sampling reveals 30% of hospitals haven’t complied with any aspect of the new price transparency requirements
Hospitals have had an easier time posting the required price information for consumer-friendly shoppable services than for all the services in their chargemaster, according to a large survey.
Have hospital-at-home programs finally come of age?
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated interest in developing and expanding hospital-at-home programs. For healthcare organizations that are pursuing risk-based contracting with an APM, a hospital-at-home program offers the potential to improve care and reduce costs for a segment of the patient population.