Healthcare Finance News

Oklahoma tornado wrecks hospital May 21, 2013 | Stephanie Bouchard, Managing Editor

Patients have been transferred to nearby facilities

The tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma Monday has also wrecked the community's hospital - Moore Medical Center. More

May21

Healthcare costs rise with homelessness May 20, 2013 | Kelsey Brimmer, Associate Editor

Lack of housing impacts individual health

When President Barack Obama released his fiscal year 2014 budget proposal in April, John Lozier, executive director of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC), became immediately concerned that not enough is being done at the federal level to resolve the on-going homelessness epidemic. More

May20

Studies debunk cost-shifting claims May 17, 2013 | Tammy Worth, Contributing Writer

Hospitals are more likely to cut

The case for healthcare reform was that insuring more patients would reduce the occurrence of cost shifting, but not everyone agrees that cost shifting is as prevalent as some think. More

May17

Tavenner wins Senate confirmation May 16, 2013 | Tom Sullivan, Government Health IT

In a rare showing of bipartisan agreement, Senate votes 91-7 for confirmation

After an 18-month wait, a was confirmed by the Senate as CMS administrator on Wednesday and was broadly hailed by nearly all corners of the industry. More

May16

GOP worried about 'Sebelius Shakedown' May 15, 2013 | Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News,

Running low on funds, HHS turns to private donors to help fund health reform

As the GOP-controlled House of Representatives prepares again to vote this week on a repeal of the 2010 health law, some key Republican senators have seized on recent news developments to show their ire. More

May15

Getting away from the office desk May 14, 2013 | Rodney J. Moore , freelance journalist and author

Non-traditional furniture an option for healthcare facilities

Even as studies from the Obesity journal to the Journal of Applied Physiology have shown that sitting is bad for your health, many employers -- even healthcare-related ones -- balk at the costs of non-traditional office furniture like treadmill desks. More

May14

Value-based payments picking up steam May 13, 2013 | Chris Anderson, Senior Editor

Value-based payment models will dominate within the next five years

The number of health plans that expect more than half their business will be under value-based models is expected to triple in the next five years according to a new research report released last week by health information network Availity. More

May13

Hospital safety shows little progress May 10, 2013 | Bernie Monegain, Contributing Editor

A new survey of hospital safety shows there is a lot of work still to be done

Leapfrog survey shows only one-in-three hospitals get an 'A'

A recent survey updating the Hospital Safety Score conducted by Leapfrog Group which assigns A through F letter grades for how well hospitals are addressing errors, accidents and infections that kill or hurt patients, shows only incremental progress over past reports. More

May10

CMS publishes hospital price data May 09, 2013 | Chris Anderson, Senior Editor

CMS' release of pricing data is a first step to healthcare cost transparency

In an effort to take the first steps toward a more transparent pricing structure in the U.S. healthcare market, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday published nationwide hospital charge data showing wide variations in how much Medicare pays for services in different markets. More

May09

Senator unblocks Tavenner nomination May 08, 2013 | Mary Mosquera, Senior Editor

Senate vote schedule uncertain

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) withdrew on Tuesday his hold that has blocked the nomination of Marilyn Tavenner as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, allowing a Senate vote to proceed. More

May08

Today’s Headlines

Expanded Medicaid cut depression Medicaid coverage alone is no guarantee of improved health outcomes, but researchers found that expanding Medicaid in Oregon reduced depression and eliminated out-of-pocket costs for its low-income... More	Importance of EDs on the rise Emergency departments are now responsible for half of all inpatient admissions and accounted for nearly all the increases in admissions between 2003 and 2009, according to a new report from Rand... More
Primary care drives hospital revenue A new survey finds that the country's primary care physicians generated more revenue for their affiliated hospitals than did the hospitals' specialists. More	Spotting preventable readmissions With hospitals nationwide feeling the burden of Medicare penalties for avoidable 30-day readmissions, C-suite managers have been frantically searching for ways to pinpoint these high-risk patients... More
Doctors transforming their practices Dr. Thomas Bellavia transformed his traditional medical practice in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., into a so-called medical home where patients are seen by teams of doctors and nurses. He says it has paid... More	Market consolidation results in clout How consolidation and integration plays out will determine if providers or payers have more influence on competition suggested experts at a conference last week sponsored by America's Health... More