Healthcare News of Note: S&P says outlook is stable for not-for-profit healthcare sector
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: The not-for-profit healthcare sector outlook was upgraded to stable, new research explores the higher risks facing certain racial and ethnic groups during COVID-19, and OIG finds that CMS lacks the tools to assess hospital quality and safety during an infectious disease outbreak.
Medicare should update its policies for separately payable drugs in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, MedPAC says
Worthwhile changes include requiring drugs to be proven clinically superior before granting them pass-through payment status, according to a new report.
Financial Sustainability Report: June 2021
This June issue of the Financial Sustainability Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, leads off with results of HFMA’s recent report examining the evolving role of the healthcare CFO over the next decade. Two features also examine steps health systems can take to promote success with value-based payment initiatives, including developing models to inform their efforts with risk-based contracts and focusing efforts on removing impediments to success under such contracts.
Healthcare CFOs should ensure their organizations’ contracts are well administered to avoid financial risk exposure
Administering contracts is a core activity for healthcare organizations, given that contracts collectively reflect the organization’s business obligations, including all assets, relationships and terms it is required to manage. It therefore is an important concern for the senior finance leader.
HFMA survey of healthcare finance professionals highlights continuing pandemic-related challenges and some reasons for optimism
Results of HFMA's Outlook Survey show that the healthcare industry is still coping with the challenges of COVID-19 but has started to adapt to a post-pandemic future.
Medicare indirect medical education payments to teaching hospitals should be overhauled, MedPAC says
Although the proposals represent a significant change, most hospitals wouldn’t be projected to experience a large impact on their payments.
PwC report anticipates a 6.5% increase in healthcare costs in 2022, roughly in line with recent years
As the healthcare industry emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, annual costs are expected to increase by slightly more than they did in recent pre-pandemic years.
Healthcare News of Note: Sg2 report says lower-acuity care to continue its migration outside of hospital walls
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Hospitals to continue to see loss of lower-acuity care, nursing shortage spurs health systems to offer sign-on bonuses and some newly passed state laws could put public health at risk.
Study quantifies the cost to physician practices of participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System
MIPS participation led to high administrative costs and a significant time drain, according to new research.
The other supply chain issue revealed by the pandemic: Generic drugs
HFMA President and CEO Joe Fifer discusses the need for hospitals and health systems to diversify the generic drug supply chain.