Topics
Reimbursement
Smoking cessation efforts may reduce avoidable hospital readmissions
Smoking linked to higher readmissions
Revenue Cycle Management
Revenue cycle, billing improvements trump lawsuits when it comes to collecting
Rev cycle, billing improvements boost collections
Strategic Planning
Close to one-third of healthcare employees have never received cybersecurity training, report shows
One-third of healthcare employees lack cybersecurity training
Capital Finance
Half of healthcare leaders say artificial intelligence will yield positive return on investment in 3 years
Half of leaders say AI will yield ROI in 3 years
Supply Chain
Hospital bottom lines could benefit from more clinical integration in the supply chain
Clinical integration in supply chain boosts bottom lines
Accounting & Financial Management
Profitability declined in August as volumes begin to soften, says Kaufman Hall
Report: Profitability down, volumes soft
Budgeting
Pressures of value-based care reforms trigger sharp increase in clinical outsourcing partnerships
Value-based care pressures driving outsourcing
Quality and Safety
Hospitals face rising risk of sophisticated cyberattacks
Hospitals face rising risk of cyberattacks
Billing and Collections
Poor digital billing process associated with uncollected payments
Poor digital billing associated with collections
Claims Processing
BCBS Institute and Solera partner, pay SDoH organizations through outcomes-based medical claims
BCBS Institute, Solera, to pay organizations through outcomes-based claims
Workforce
2018 cohort of newly-certified physician assistants is the youngest and largest yet
Largest and youngest group of PAs now certified
Operations
Some ICU admissions may be preventable, saving money and improving care
Preventing some ICU admissions can save money
Medical Devices
Apple is developing custom health information tracking chips
Apple is developing custom health chips
Hospital/physician relations
Women in healthcare face more harassment, have fewer opportunities and lower wages, study shows
Women: Fewer opportunities, lower wages
Construction & Facilities Management
Cape Cod Healthcare building $180M patient tower, investing in EHR
CCHC building $180M patient tower
Compliance & Legal
Sutter Health avoids trial, settles antitrust case with California Attorney General
Sutter Health settles antitrust case
Policy and Legislation
Public health insurance options would cut into industry margins, Moody's says
Public health insurance poses a threat for industry margins
Community Benefit
Advocate Aurora Health contributed $2.1 billion to community charitable care and services in 2018
Advocate Aurora: $2.1B in charity care
Accountable Care
Physician-led accountable care organizations outperform hospital-led counterparts
Physician-led ACOs outperform hospital ACOs
Acute Care
Pressure ulcers cost the health system $26.8 billion a year
Pressure ulcers cost the health system $26.8B a year
Ambulatory Care
Medical schools, teaching hospitals account for 3% of US GDP, report shows
Med schools, teaching hospitals are 3% of GDP
Analytics
Anthem, MassChallenge HealthTech to collaborate on accelerator launch
Anthem, MassChallenge HealthTech launching accelerator
Business Intelligence
While the price of healthcare is growing, utilization is dropping and price variations persist, report says
HCCI: Price of healthcare is growing, utilization is dropping, price variations persist
ICD-10 & Coding
Physician practices examine risk adjustment coding in wake of federal lawsuits
Practices keeping close watch on risk adjustment coding
Meaningful Use
CMS overhauls meaningful use EHR program, renames it 'Promoting Interoperability'
CMS overhauls meaningful use as 'Promoting Interoperability'
Medicare & Medicaid
Medicaid rebates central to the concern over 340B drug program, survey shows
Medicaid rebate picture for 340B uncertain
Patient Engagement
Online patient portal usage linked to higher rates of flu shots, blood pressure checks
Patient portals linked to more flu shots, blood pressure checks
Pharmacy
Majority of physicians fear another prescription drug crisis
Most physicians fear another drug crisis
Population Health
Old is not necessarily elderly as seniors want both lifespan and health span
Old is not necessarily elderly
Risk Management
Hospital employees are clicking on phishing emails, and that's a problem, JAMA study shows
JAMA: Hospital employees are clicking on phishing emails
Telehealth
Telehealth eliminates time and distance to save money
Telehealth eliminates time and distance to save money
Mergers & Acquisitions
Federal court sides with CVS Health/Aetna on their merger
Federal court sides with CVS/Aetna
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Medicare & Medicaid

Oct 17 | Jeff Lagasse
FDA approves record number of generic drugs, claiming savings to the healthcare system
The FDA is also approving greater numbers of complex generic drugs, which are more difficult to…
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Oct 17 |
Medicaid rebates central to the concern over 340B drug program, survey shows
Different states have different methods for identifying 340B drugs billed to programs, findings showed.
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Oct 16 | Jeff Lagasse
Physician-led accountable care organizations outperform hospital-led counterparts
On average, physician-led ACOs produced almost 7 times the amount of Medicare savings per beneficiary than…
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Oct 15 | Jeff Lagasse
Expanding biosimilars market holds potential for significant savings to state Medicaid programs
The anticipated savings would increase in a scenario in which biosimilars made up a larger…
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Oct 15 | Susan Morse
Medication adherence a big factor in Medicare Advantage star ratings
The bonus pool size in 2018 was $6.3 billion, which goes to 4-star and above plans as $500 per member, per year.
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Oct 14 | Jeff Lagasse
Genetic testing company accused of Medicare fraud settles for $42.6 million
UTC Laboratories was charged with billing Medicaid for unnecessary pharmacogenetic testing.
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Oct 11 | Jeff Lagasse
2018 cohort of newly-certified physician assistants is the youngest and largest yet
The data also shows encouraging employment opportunities for PAs, with most receiving multiple job offers.
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Oct 11 | Susan Morse
UPDATED LIST: Medicare Advantage star ratings for 2020 show more 4 star or higher plans
There are 1,200 more MA plans than in 2018 and in 2020 a greater number rate 4 stars or more, CMS says.
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Oct 11 | Susan Morse
Medicare Advantage plans on the rise ahead of open enrollment and star ratings release
A perfect storm of an aging demographic, lower premiums, high margins and CMS flexibility is behind MA…
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Oct 09 | Susan Morse
HHS and CMS are offering safe harbor to Stark Law to promote value-based, coordinated care
Example of changes is allowing a hospital to donate free cybersecurity software to each physician…
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