Healthcare
Showing 49–64 of 406 results
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Hospitals warming up to bundled payments
Spring 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 461
Abstract: In late November, the CMS finalized its rule canceling the mandatory hip fracture and cardiac bundled-payment models and scaling back the five-year Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model (CJR) program. Yet CMS data indicate that many hospitals had managed to satisfy the CJR program’s tough requirements, reaping financial rewards as a result. This article looks at hospital use of bundled payments and notes that, as bundling continues to gain traction, industrywide adoption may be only a matter of time.
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Don’t hold on to buried assets – Understand unclaimed property laws
Spring 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 700
Abstract: A hospital or practice may hold unclaimed property that can weigh down its bottom line if not handled appropriately. To take full advantage of all of its assets, the organization needs to understand the laws relating to unclaimed property, such as wages or unpaid credit balances, and the applicable dormancy periods. This article offers an explanation of unclaimed property laws and how a hospital can make the most of its resources and dig out the truth about its unclaimed property.
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Retail comes to health care
Spring 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 577
Abstract: Patients concerned with health care costs increasingly are turning to lower-priced retail clinics. The introduction of such consumerism isn’t necessarily all bad news for hospitals, though. Those that get on board with the trend may actually strengthen their revenues. This article explains why the retail model can be helpful for hospitals and how they can meet patient demand for more convenient and affordable options.
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The final OPPS rule for 2018: What you need to know
Spring 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 836
Abstract: The release of the CMS’s Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule for 2018 — all 1,133 pages of it — has generated much concern regarding its implications for hospitals’ bottom lines. This article explains several areas affected by the rule, including drug program reimbursements, the inpatient-only list and the Outpatient Quality Reporting Program. A sidebar discusses CMS cuts in fees for off-campus physicians.
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Surviving — and thriving — in a changing practice landscape
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 486
Abstract: Health care reform and declining reimbursements in many specialties have created increasing stress and uncertainty for physicians in private practice, often leading them to shift to hospital or medical practice employment. This article offers physicians some tips for navigating the current complex medical world, whether in private practice or employed. The article stresses the need for physicians to educate themselves about the options to ensure their practices thrive and grow.
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How to handle a Medicare audit
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 592
Abstract: Generally speaking, the question isn’t if you get a Medicare audit, it’s when. It’s important for physicians and medical practices to understand how a Medicare audit works, so that they can handle one successfully. This article explains the two types of Medicare audits and offers some strategies for dealing with them, including reading the audit letter carefully, submitting a copy of the complete record, and ensuring all medical records and copies are legible. The article adds that the key is to stay cool, document everything — and consult with an attorney and financial expert.
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Steps to take to improve claim acceptance
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 620
Abstract: A medical practice’s financial health and stability greatly depends on having claims accepted. Claim denials are avoidable errors that disrupt the billing process. This article discusses how to ensure that claims are accepted on first submission, noting that this requires taking specific steps early in the revenue cycle. In addition to offering suggestions on how to respond to any claim denials that arise, the article points out that the best tactic is to make any necessary systemic changes to the billing process to prevent denials from happening in the first place.
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Quality vs. volume – How should physician compensation be determined?
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 893
Abstract: Increasingly, hospitals, health systems and the federal government are pushing for “pay for quality” or “pay per performance” over the more traditional “pay for volume” as the underlying structure for physician compensation. This article offers some examples of hospitals that have switched the payment emphasis to the quality model. It also discusses some of the assumptions on which these models are based. The ongoing issue is that benchmarks for quality aren’t well documented — and are often fuzzy at best. A sidebar displays one of the most influential lists of quality measures in health care, which was developed by the National Academy of Medicine.
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To bundle or not to bundle – CMS steers away from ACA-related payment models
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 470
Abstract: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent a proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget that would cancel, or scale back, some of the major bundled payment initiatives created by the Affordable Care Act. This article looks at the proposed CMS changes to these bundled payment programs, noting that, while the American Medical Association had criticized the programs for moving too fast, it isn’t generally opposed to bundling payments.
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Supreme Court rules on ERISA exemption
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 558
Abstract: The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that could free church-affiliated hospitals from the costly burden of complying with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This article explains the exemption under which some plans for employees of churches or church-affiliated nonprofits — such as hospitals — qualify as “church plans” even though not actually administered by a church. The article adds the caveat that hospitals seeking to take advantage of the church plan exemption to ERISA must be able to establish principal-purpose status for their plans — and the bodies that maintain them. Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton, No. 16-74, U.S.S.C., June 5, 2017
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Stay on top of your credit rating
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 501
Abstract: A good credit rating is key to obtaining financing, so it’s important to be aware of how agencies evaluate it. Utilization metrics have historically focused primarily on inpatient activity. But because the Affordable Care Act has prompted a shift away from inpatient care toward outpatient and ambulatory care, the major credit ratings agencies have begun to incorporate new metrics that reflect a hospital’s ability to deliver quality care at a reasonable cost. This article discusses these factors and points out that taking the proper steps to enhance care can benefit a hospital’s credit rating.
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Beyond the rate increase: Other important IPPS changes
Winter 2018
Newsletter: Healthcare Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 863
Abstract: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule for the 2018 fiscal year addresses several areas of vital importance. These include hospital readmission penalties, changes to the measures for evaluating inpatient services payments, and easing aspects of the Electronic Health Record incentive program. This article explains that the 2018 rule also replaces the three pain management questions in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey with three new questions. A brief sidebar looks at revisions to the treatment of Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments.
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How to control overhead costs
Fall 2017
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 449
Abstract: Many medical practices don’t have enough specificity in their budgets to determine what’s really going on — let alone where to start making cuts if needed. This article suggests some steps medical practices can take that will help them control their overhead costs, such as breaking down costs into detailed categories, negotiating better malpractice insurance, and evaluating inventory to make sure it’s sufficient — and efficient.
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Using social media in your practice
Fall 2017
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 689
Abstract: Loosely defined, social media comprises Internet-based platforms that allow people to create, share or exchange information in virtual communities or networks. This article examines the pros and cons of using social media in a medical practice. The article notes that it’s a good idea for a practice to assign one person the role of monitoring its social media presence.
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Co-management arrangements – Rewarding quality and efficiency can be a win-win
Fall 2017
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 618
Abstract: One way for physicians and other medical providers to improve the efficiency and quality of their services is to use the system of clinical co-management to implement a rewards structure for participants. This article describes co-management arrangements and discusses their control issues, as well as their potential legal implications. The article points out that, in the right circumstances, a co-management arrangement can be beneficial to everyone involved.
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Should you outsource billing?
Fall 2017
Newsletter: Rx for Practice Management / Practice Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 850
Abstract: Whether to handle billing in-house or hire an outside billing company is an important decision with significant implications for a practice’s long-term financial health. This article looks at the drawbacks of outsourcing, such as setup fees and locked-in contracts, and the benefits, such as streamlined billing procedures. A sidebar lists 10 factors for a medical practice to consider when hiring an outside company to ensure accurate and reliable billing.