How 2 regions increased provider leader attendance at their symposium
Leadership of the January 2025 HFMA Western region symposium, held in Las Vegas, credits scholarships and peer-to-peer outreach for increasing attendance at the event by more than 10% in two years. Event leaders engaged 14 HFMA chapters across regions 10 and 11 to establish a planning strategy. Keys to the symposium’s success were prioritizing provider…
What DOGE’s actions mean for U.S. healthcare
The federal government’s perennial search for fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) in its healthcare spending has become a key focus of the Trump administration and could presage deeper financial changes. The gathering storm has left health systems scrambling to prepare for the major financial headwinds that could come from the initiatives. President Donald Trump has…
David Johnson: A case study in today’s revenue cycle dystopia
Vendor pronouncements that AI technologies can transform the healthcare revenue cycle are commonplace and overblown. While both health systems and suppliers want to believe that AI can be their savior, there are limits to how it can improve payment mechanics between commercial health insurers and providers. No revenue cycle company flew closer to the sun…
GLP-1 drugs present an uncertain opportunity for healthcare and the nation
The wave of weight-loss drugs being prescribed to patients across the country may be behind a new era in obesity treatment. The drugs not only could be an appropriate treatment for millions of Americans but also could disrupt the industry’s existing bariatric surgery efforts and have other far-reaching consequences. The soaring demand for GLP-1 drugs,…
Ken Perez: Trump’s second administration promises a shakeup around health policy
What a difference eight years can make. On Jan. 20, 2017, his first day in office as the nation’s 45th president, Donald Trump issued just one executive order (EO), scaling back parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It set the stage for Congress’ subsequent repeal, via the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,…
Robin Damschroder: Healthcare finance’s growth gives rise to new leadership roles
Over the years, the role of hospital CFOs has expanded profoundly. Back in 1946, when the HFMA was born as the American Association of Hospital Accountants, the highest titles for healthcare finance leaders were comptroller, controller or business manager.a Not so anymore. New titles have emerged with the increasing complexity of the finance function as…
How pre-bill automation positively affects efficiency and financial outcomes
Eighty-four percent of health systems report that lower reimbursement from payers is a top cause of low operational margins, according to an HFMA survey. Hospital revenue cycle leaders understand that not only are reimbursements lower, but if there are any errors or inefficiencies in coding bills that can also lengthen the process of getting paid.…
5 ways to reduce losses on hospital-employed physician practices
Healthcare organizations in the United States continue to lose money on hospital-owned medical practices. According to the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), the median loss per employed physician is just under $250,000.a Many factors contribute to these losses, but the basic driver is supply and demand. Shortages in the physician workforce are driving up physician…