| HealthLeaders Media PhysicianLeaders - August 2, 2007 | Payment Reform Reality |
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Payment Reform Reality
Rick Johnson, Senior Editor
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today made good on its promise to significantly change the way Medicare pays for acute inpatient care at hospitals. The final rule for the inpatient prospective payment system creates 745 new Medicare severity-adjusted diagnosis-related groups. CMS says the reforms will result in increased payments overall and fairer reimbursement for more than 3,500 acute care hospitals. Providers I spoke with after the proposed rule came out were leery of the changes that CMS claims will increase hospital payments by an average of 3.5 percent for FY 2008.
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August 2, 2007 | |
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Editor's Picks
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A spotlight on outpatient surgeries
USA Today reports on the risks associated with outpatient surgery. Still, many believe outpatient surgery is quicker, easier and cheaper. In fact, the number of outpatient surgical clinics climbed 25 percent from 2001 to 2006. Whether patients continue to choose outpatient surgery depends greatly on the advice they get from their physicians. [Read More]
Five operations you don't want
This is an interesting round-up. This CNN.com story highlights the importance of physician-patient communication prior to elective surgery. The article points out that at least 12,000 Americans die each year from unnecessary surgery. I wonder how many of those patients really thought of their surgeries as "unnecessary." [Read More]
Transplant case could affect donations
Prosecutors say a transplant surgeon prescribed massive amounts of drugs in an attempt to hasten the death of a 25-year-old, who was physically and mentally disabled. In this disturbing AP story, experts worry that this news might dissuade potential donors. With 97,000 people awaiting transplants annually, one would hope the public realizes this is an isolated incident. [Read More]
Large physician practice looks for growth
Esse Health, one of the St. Louis area's largest independent physician practices, brought on a new chief executive to refine its brand and expand physicians' use of information technology. This story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch raises questions about the administrator-physician leader relationship. [Read More] |
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Business Rx
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Focusing on overhead can cost revenue, compensation
From Physician Compensation Report: Many physicians, particularly those working under a "revenue minus expenses" compensation model, obsess about overhead, because it's an easy target. But the compensation pool in a private practice can be increased by either bringing in more revenue or slashing overhead, and many of these physicians are focusing on the wrong area. They could be losing compensation as a result. [Read More] |
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Physician News
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Sending back the doctor's bill
New York Times - August 2, 2007
Religion not always a motivator for MDs who care for poor
HealthDay/Yahoo News - August 2, 2007
Hospitals reap millions from primary care residency programs
American Academy of Family Physicians - August 2, 2007
PHA opposes legislation that stifles physician ownership
HealthLeaders News Brief - August 2, 2007
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| From HealthLeaders Magazine |
Challenge in Carolina
 Safety-net provider. Teaching institution. Testing ground for new technology. UNC Health Care is all of these things-welcome to life as an academic medical center. [Read More]
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