Author's posts
Commentary: Lose star ratings, instead measure what matters to patients
Let’s acknowledge that the CMS star-rating system spurs activities that raise costs without improving outcomes and begin rethinking the concept of quality measurement in healthcare.
Children’s hospitals brace for tax reform’s unintended consequence: fewer donors
Children’s hospital administrators are concerned the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could cut into their fundraising revenue by reducing the financial incentive to give to charities.
Q&A: CEO John Couris wants Tampa General to be the best. Period
John Couris thinks leaders in the healthcare industry should think big or go home. During his first year as CEO of Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital, the region’s largest safety-net facility, Couris has given his staff implicit instructions and a road…
2019 will reveal more answers on Trump’s strategy to fight high drug prices
The Trump administration continues its verbal assault on high drug prices, and more-concrete regulatory action is expected this year.
Hospitals’ solution to surprise out-of-network bills: Make physicians go in-network
Some hospitals have turned to a bold strategy to prevent patients from receiving surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers: requiring in-hospital physicians to contract with the same insurers as the hospital.
FDA forced to halt inspections during government shutdown
The partial government shutdown has ground some healthcare activities to a halt, but other key agencies remain funded.
Grassley takes Finance Committee gavel, eyes hospital oversight
Tax-exempt hospitals, the 340B drug discount program and accreditation programs are in the sights of the Senate’s veteran champion for oversight.
CDC: Flu season to be milder than last year
Approximately 84,000 people have been hospitalized so far this flu season, which experts say points to signs of a milder season compared to last year that saw more than 80,000 deaths.
ACOs ask for more time before taking on more risk
The CMS is giving new accountable care organizations one month to apply to a new program forcing them to take on more risk. But the providers say that deadline is far too short.
Hospitals overspend $39 billion a year on purchased services
Even though purchased services account for approximately 20% of a hospital’s total operating costs, it is often an overlooked sector.
