As the clock runs down on 2010 and thoughts turn to year-end gifts, let us consider some of the most sought-after goodies for physicians and healthcare executives.
Some rural hospitals and community health centers got early gifts this year. In October the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would make available up to $335 million in Expanded Services grants for community health centers to boost access to preventive and primary healthcare. That's a big bowl of cash for financially strapped providers who work with some of the nation's most vulnerable patients.
1. A Doc Fix That Sticks
Finances are never far from a physician leader's mind. This year is no exception. In the latest installment of the ongoing game of chicken between federal lawmakers and the nation's physicians, Congress on Monday approved a one-month delay in its scheduled 23% cut to Medicare reimbursements as defined by the sustainable growth rate formula. The Senate took similar action earlier this month.
With primary care docs threatening to drop Medicare patients and lawmakers withholding relief until the last moment, there's more manufactured drama here than on a season's worth of The Jersey Shore. Let's get this fixed.
2. A Strategy For Dealing With Bad Debt
Hospitals large and small, urban and rural feel the burden of bad debt. It's a plague on hospital balance sheets, but there are measures that can be taken to lessen the amount of red ink on the books. Here are six expert tips—from collecting a portion of patient balances at the point of service to instituting discounts for self-pay patients.
No one says trying to collect payments upfront will be easy, but there are methods and techniques that can be applied to collecting a significant percentage of outstanding revenue, while still preserving positive relationships with patients. And for hospital CFOs with a taste for analytics, there are data mining and predictive modeling software tools that can plug revenue leaks and uncover millions in missed charges.
3. An ACO Primer and Roadmap
I'll be blunt: No one really knows what an accountable care organization is. Great minds have a pretty good idea, but ACOs don't exist yet. Therein lies the trouble. We know that ACOs will involve payment reform of some sort, a shift that will leave the current fee-for-service model in the dust. Individual physicians, though they will be central to the ACO, are experiencing some anxiety. What is needed is clarity and direction.
4. More Help From Nurses
Don't get me wrong. They work hard. But nurses could be doing more, especially in community and rural health settings. With the proper training, nurse practioners could take on some of the tasks of primary care providers. And certified nurse anesthetists can safely ease patient loads even further. A California Superior Court judge last month rejected a petition filed by two medical groups who said that allowing unsupervised advanced practice nurses to administer anesthesia puts patients at risk. Stop fighting, and let these professionals contribute to their highest ability.
5. An iPad
Everything you've heard is true. Get one. Give one.