Tag: Healthcare Costs

Medicaid DSH payments

CMS Finalizes How It Will Cut Medicaid DSH Payments

The Senate passed a continuing resolution that would temporarily stop the implementation of Medicaid DSH payment cuts until Nov. 22, 2019. CMS on Monday finalized a rule that will reduce Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments by $4 billion next year and $8 billion a year until fiscal year 2025. The new final rule will implement Medicaid DSH payment […]
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Value-Based Care Models

Verma Presses Hospitals to Assume Risk in Value-Based Care Models

Hospitals assuming downside financial risk under value-based care models is the key to lowering healthcare costs and improving quality, CMS believes. CMS Administrator Seema Verma urged hospitals on Tuesday to accept new value-based care models and price transparency requirements or face greater administrative burden, less competition, and lower reimbursement rates under Medicare for All. “Our choices are […]
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The Rx For Improved Patient Billing Experiences

Helping patients understand their financial responsibility and pay for services continues to be driven by an outdated and unnecessarily complex experience. Last year, three in 10 Americans had an unpaid healthcare bill go to collections. As more of the financial burden falls to patients with rising costs and an increase in high-deductible health plans, consumers are frustrated […]
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Trump Demands Transparency on Healthcare Costs: 7 Things To Know

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to lower healthcare costs by improving price transparency. Seven Things To Know: The order, signed June 24 at the White House, directs HHS to develop rules requiring hospitals to publish prices “that reflect what people actually pay for services in a way that’s clear, straightforward and accessible […]
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Healthcare Costs

Out-of-Pocket Costs Increased Across All Healthcare In 2018

Patients experienced out-of-pocket increases as high as 12% for their healthcare costs last year, according to a new analysis by TransUnion Healthcare. Released this week at the 2019 Healthcare Financial Management Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, the analysis shows increases occurred in all categories including inpatient, outpatient and emergency department (ED) care. Specifically, inpatient care costs […]
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Allzone MACRA MIPS

Thinking Strategically About MACRA and MIPS: Will it Be Sink or Swim in 2019?

In Part One of this two-part article exploring the implications of MACRA for healthcare providers, healthcare leaders and health IT experts discuss why it’s critical for clinicians to think strategically, rather than tactically, about MACRA compliance. Numerous industry surveys have highlighted that U.S. physicians, by and large, remain unprepared for managing and executing Medicare Access […]
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Union Lowers Medical Bills With Direct Negotiations

As companies shift more and more healthcare costs to their employees, the doormen, office cleaners, cafeteria staff and other members of the union 32BJ SEIU remain among the lucky few who pay no premiums and have no deductibles as part of their benefit plan. Keeping it that way has been no easy task. With each new collective-bargaining agreement, the […]
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Medicare Advantage for Dual Eligibility

Medicare Advantage Dual Eligible’s Have Fewer ER Visits Than Those Under FFS

Dual eligible Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had 42.1% less emergency room visits than their fee-for-service counterparts. The cost of care and rate of hospitalizations for dual eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries was considerably lower than dual eligibles under fee-for-service (FFS), according to an Avalere Health study released Tuesday evening. Dual eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) populations averaged healthcare […]
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