HealthLeadersMedia.com - Daily News & Analysis

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 Wednesday.

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The sustainable growth rate formula's days may be numbered, but the SGR won't be repealed until an alternative system for making Medicare payments to physicians is found.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

Telemedicine is Retail Health Clinics' Newest Tool

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:32:00 GMT

Once a way for people in rural areas to access medical specialists, telemedicine is now being piloted by Rite Aid at its in-store clinics. Competitors Walgreens and CVS may not be far behind. Where does that leave traditional healthcare providers?

Hospital EDs Seeing Sicker Medicare Patients

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:12:00 GMT

The federal government's inpatient admissions guidelines and growing claims denials are heaping pressure on hospitals to treat Medicare patients in the ED rather than admit them. Meantime, the severity of illness is rising, says the American Hospital Association.

Lawmakers Mull SGR Options

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:58:00 GMT

Bipartisan consensus for repeal of Medicare's sustainable growth rate appears solid, but there is no clear way forward. The latest meeting between lawmakers and stakeholders gives voice to the wide-ranging concerns of physicians.

AMA Raises Reimbursement Concerns Over EHR Workarounds

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:22:00 GMT

Arguing that documenting a full clinical encounter in an electronic health record "can be pure torment," an American Medical Association official describes three time-saving methods physicians have turned to, each of which has the potential for abuse leading to the denial of CMS payments, he says.