Category: Healthcare Finance News

Patient input has potential to improve communication and the overall hospital experience

Physicians need to work at seeking feedback from patients and meaningfully incorporating patient preferences into treatment plans.

International reference payment model could save Medicare Part D over $70 billion

Prices for the drugs, which range from diabetes medications to antivirals to immunosuppressants, were 3.2 to 4.1 times higher in the U.S.

Mergers and acquisitions, private equity in healthcare primed for continued robust activity

The nature of acquisitions is changing, with less volume but more high-dollar deals — many of them focused on population health.

Induced labor not more expensive to healthcare system than spontaneous labor

The cost increases from other aspects of patient care cancel out the induction-related costs, contradicting long-held assumptions.

Aetna is latest insurer to partner with Aledade on ACO-focused care

Aetna gains in-network access to independent practices, health centers and clinics that are part of Aledade’s ACOs in three states

CMS outlines comprehensive strategy to foster innovation for transformative medical technologies

The actions represent components of a strategy to address barriers to medical innovation in the Medicare program.

Congressional Budget Office looks at impact of Medicare for All

Two primary concerns of a single-payer system are the methods it would use to pay providers and set their payment rates, both of which would affect hospital and physician revenues.

Medical costs create hardships for more than half of Americans

Overall, 56 percent of adults reported at least one domain of medical financial hardship, representing 137.1 million adults in the US.

Office of Civil Rights final rule steps up enforcement of conscience and religious rights

This includes the protection of medical conscious of practitioners, says OCR Director Roger Severino.

Costs for the same medical procedures show wide variation between hospitals

The same service can command dramatically different prices depending on where in the country it’s being performed.