HealthLeadersMedia.com - Daily News & Analysis

ED Physicians Key to Half of Hospital Admissions

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:21:00 GMT

Doctors in the emergency department are the major decision makers in nearly half of all hospital admissions, giving them a significant role in controlling healthcare costs, research shows.

How Chargemaster Data May Affect Hospital Revenue

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:05:00 GMT

The now transparent federal database of hospital prices could motivate hospital financial assistance offices to write more flexible policies for collecting from uninsured, underinsured, and Medicare Advantage patients.

69% of Employers Plan to Offer Healthcare Coverage After 2014

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:19:00 GMT

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is having little effect on workforce strategies, employer survey data shows. More than two-thirds of employers say they will continue to provide healthcare coverage when health insurance exchanges begin operation in 2014.

Primary Care Docs Average More Hospital Revenue Than Specialists

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:52:00 GMT

A survey of hospital CFOs shows primary care physicians generated a combined average of $1,566,165 for their affiliated hospitals in the last year. Other specialties generated a combined annual average of $1,424,917, the lowest average in five years, data shows.

CMS Seeks to 'Rapidly Reduce' Medicare Spending with $1B in Grants

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:16:00 GMT

The second round of federal Health Care Innovation Awards specifically seeks clinical models that will quickly shrink Medicare costs and improve care for populations with special needs as well as population health.

Case Study: Advance Care Conversations

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:57:00 GMT

Not knowing a patient's wishes for end-of-life care can lead to expensive and sometimes unwanted medical interventions. Gundersen Health System is trying to change that, by embracing a conversation around end-of-life care that is not about dying.

Quiet ORs Better for Patient Safety

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:26:00 GMT

Music at loud decibels can contribute to miscommunication among surgeons and nurses in the operating room, raising the risk of medical error, researchers say.

Tavenner Confirmed as CMS Administrator

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:06:00 GMT

Marilyn Tavenner, a former nurse, hospital executive, and state health official, is the first Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services head to gain congressional approval since 2004. The full Senate confirmed her nomination with a 91-7 vote.

Healthcare Leaders Sound Off on Organized Labor

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:21:00 GMT

How much of a threat does organized labor pose to healthcare organizations? Hospital and health system leaders weigh in on the sensitive issue, which ranked among their top three concerns in our most recent industry survey.

How Medical Debt Forgiveness Benefits Hospitals

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:07:00 GMT

A tax expert describes how forgiving medical debts that a healthcare provider will more than likely never collect has an "incredibly low cost, generating very high return" for hospitals.

Senate Finance Committee Hears More 'Doc Fix' Testimony

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:46:00 GMT

The sustainable growth rate formula's days may be numbered, but the SGR won't be repealed until an alternative system for making Medicare payments to physicians is found.

Access to EHR Notes Lauded by Patients, Providers

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:24:00 GMT

In a pilot, a system which permits patients to view all the notes in their electronic health records was such a hit with hospital patients and physicians that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Geisinger Health System are dramatically expanding their OpenNotes programs.

CMS Proposes Reduced Hospital DSH Cuts

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:10:00 GMT

Some acute care hospitals would see a $1.1 billion reduction in cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funds for two years under a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal.

Senators Want Provider Feedback on Medicare Payments

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:47:00 GMT

Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee are asking doctors to answer questions about the physician fee schedule and changes that would be necessary to accommodate alternative payment models.

Value-Based Healthcare Needs New Bond Rating Metrics

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:07:00 GMT

Hospitals and bond rating agencies will likely spend the next decade adjusting to the transition from volume-based to value-based payments. Moody's Investors Service is trialing 20 new value-focused indicators to evaluate hospitals.

Building a Better Healthcare Board

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:40:00 GMT

Whether boards are too large, too unwieldy, or have members who are underqualified to effectively provide strategic direction, many of them need help to deal with the new realities of healthcare.

Surgeon-Driven Quality Effort Slashes Complications, Costs

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Project, a growing effort run by the American College of Surgeons since 2004, reports that 83% of program participants have been able to decrease their surgical complication rates by a statistically significant level.

Whistleblower Fines Against Tuomey, Adventist Health

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:12:00 GMT

A $39.3 judgment million and the specter of hefty fines hang over Tuomey Healthcare System following a jury's decision that it violated the Stark Law and the False Claims Act. Adventist Health will pay $14.1M to resolve false claims allegations. Both cases were initiated by whistleblowers.

CMS Releases Hospital Pricing Data

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:17:00 GMT

For the first time, the federal government has made public chargemaster data for the 100 most common Medicare inpatient diagnostic related groups or DRGs. Hospital prices vary widely even within the same city or region.

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores 'Depressing'

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:53:00 GMT

In the Leapfrog Group's third release of hospital safety grades, overall scores rose minutely, but more hospitals got worse than got better. "So far, these numbers aren't really moving," says CEO Leah Binder.