Category: Healthcare Finance News

Mandatory sugar labels could generate healthcare savings, improve health in a cost-effective way

The label could postpone nearly three million cases of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

When doctors address bad reviews, patient satisfaction can double

Addressing negative reviews can not only salvage a provider’s brand reputation and even lead to higher reimbursement.

Radiation oncology workforce study indicates potential threat to rural cancer care access

Since the previous workforce survey in 2012, the proportion of rural radiation oncologists declined from 16 to 13 percent.

Safety-net providers operated with an average margin of 1.6% in 2017

This is less than half their 2016 average and below the 7.8 percent average of other U.S. hospitals, according to the annual study.

Health systems increase operating margins through diversification strategies

Health systems can create a risk-adjusted portfolio of initiatives that leverages their ecosystem and competitive advantages.

Heart attack victims over 65 suffer worse outcomes but have lower hospital charges

Despite staying in the hospital on average a half-day longer, older patients had lower total charges, perhaps due to the lack of expensive procedures.

UnitedHealthcare expands bundled payments to Medicare Advantage

Providers in more than 30 states may participate in bundled payments for eight medical procedures.

Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University partner for new academic health system

Plans include a new medical school in Charlotte that will expand patient-centered research currently in place in Winston-Salem.

Mothers in Medicaid may have higher C-section infection risk than those with private insurance

Mothers delivering via cesarean section covered by Medicaid had a 1.4 fold increase in infection compared to those covered by private insurance.

FBI, DOJ bust 24 people in $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme

The scheme preyed upon hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled patients, DOJ says.