Healthcare News of Note: McKinsey analyzes a range of scenarios based on the infectiousness, immune evasion and severity of disease linked to the omicron variant
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An in-depth analysis looked at what the U.S. can expect with the onslaught of the omicron variant, CMS rescinded a drug pricing model, and total healthcare utilization in 2020 dipped below 2019 levels.
As COVID-19 vaccination deadlines arrive for healthcare providers, CMS offers explanatory resources
As the deadlines arrive for providers to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, CMS has made various resources available to help healthcare entities determine whether and when the regulations apply to them.
HHS’s Office of Inspector General announces audit of providers’ COVID-19 billing practices
OIG has announced an audit of Provider Relief Fund recipients to ensure they did not balance-bill presumptive or actual COVID-19 patients.
Hospitals need federal support to handle the ongoing staffing and financial crunch, industry leaders say
The hospital industry issued its latest plea for additional federal help to mitigate the financial and operational strain of COVID-19, including surging staffing costs.
Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, December 2021
The December HFMA’s Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, leads off with the fourth and final report for 2021 in HFMA’s Healthcare 2030 series, focused on the long-term direction of strategic investment for hospitals and health systems. Also included are an article describing a new “employer-friendly” model of center of excellence and a commentary on how the FDA’s accelerated approval process may unintentionally be increasing the nation’s drug expense.
Healthcare M&A update: A quiet 2021 could give way to strategic shifts in 2022
The year 2021 was one of the least busy on record for healthcare mergers and acquisitions, but volume should pick up in 2022.
Healthcare providers face a growing risk of violating debt covenants
COVID-19 has increased the financial strain on healthcare providers that puts them at risk of being noncompliant with lending covenants. They should be taking proactive steps now to avoid or mitigate the potentially severe adverse financial consequence of such an occurrence.
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers can take effect nationwide, Supreme Court says
The court lifted injunctions that had halted implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in half the country, leaving hospitals and other affected providers with likely only a few weeks to begin complying.
How avoiding an awkward waiting room conversation can contribute to better health for transgender people
Listen to the podcast. Societal biases in healthcare not only hurt a provider’s reputation but also the bottom line. When patients don’t feel welcome, they won’t come back until they are sicker and more expensive to care for. On this episode of the Voices in Healthcare Finance podcast, Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National…
Coverage denials based on medical necessity are far more likely to arise from Medicare FFS rules than from MA plan policies
Coverage rules stemming from Medicare national and local determinations were the most likely cause of claim denials in one Medicare Advantage plan.