Successive rounds of unnecessary testing can cause physical and psychological harm to patients and wastes an estimated $200 billion annually.
Category: Healthcare Finance News
Telehealth laws, especially for behavioral health, are increasing access despite remaining legislative barriers
Adoption of telehealth for mental health services is increasing, highlighting the need for a more cohesive legal and regulatory framework.
CONNECT for Health Act gets provider, HIMSS support
The bill has bipartisan support to lift restrictions on Medicare coverage for telehealth.
Racial inequities uncovered in hospital admissions for heart failure
Patients who self-identified as black were 9% less likely to be admitted to specialized cardiac care units.
CMS will pay $1.9 billion to hospitals in value-based payments for inpatient care
Over 55% of hospitals will receive higher Medicare payments under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program.
CHS divests Virginia hospitals, sells to Bon Secours Mercy Health
In an ongoing effort to consolidate and reduce debt, CHS is exiting the state in a deal expected to close by year’s end.
Financial incentives plus information decrease patient preference for potentially wasteful diagnostic testing
Discussing benefits and risks of low-value diagnostic testing via head CT scan with patients can reduce the prevalence of such testing.
Self-funded employers are playing an increasing role in taking on the status quo to lower costs
The insurance industry will remain but the traditional PPO is beginning to come to an end as costs are outstripping inflation and wages, CEO says.
Reducing wasteful spending in healthcare by curbing administrative complexity
Wasteful spending is an increasingly thorny problem in healthcare, especially with the industry comprising an ever-larger portion of GDP.
Kaiser, Oscar, Blue Cross Blue Shield plans among big winners of cost sharing reduction payments
In total, Affordable Care Act insurers in class action lawsuit will receive over $1.5 billion in damages from 2017 and 2018.
