HHS issues regulations to strengthen anti-discriminatory protections in healthcare (updated)
July 3 update A judge with the Southern District of Mississippi federal court granted an injunction preventing the Biden administration from enforcing regulations expanding anti-discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Issued two days before the new rule was to take effect, the order applies to the provisions concerning gender identity. The move came…
Ascension systems remain down after cyberattack
Executives with Ascension health system, St. Louis, are keeping in contact with leading law enforcement agencies and industry organizations as they work to restore systems that were shuttered by a cyberattack. The apparent ransomware attack has led to a shutdown of different systems that will last for an undetermined period of time. The attack also…
Bridging the gap: Integrating value-based care into revenue cycle management
The idea of value-based care (VBC) has existed for decades but only gained momentum since the 2017 implementation of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP). VBC incentivizes providers for quality outcomes, unlike fee-for-service models that reimburse providers for each service performed. The ultimate goal of VBC is to improve…
Annual report on Medicare financing could reduce the immediate impetus to address longstanding issues
New data on the state of Medicare funding show short-term improvement while keeping the stakes high for ensuing decades. The annual report from Medicare’s trustees shows the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (i.e., Medicare Part A) has enough money to keep beneficiaries covered and providers paid through 2036. That’s an increase of five years from the…
Closures of Walmart’s health centers reflect the widespread financial constraints in U.S. healthcare
Beyond signaling a setback for retail-based healthcare disruptors, Walmart’s recent decision to close its health centers is symptomatic of issues hampering the nation’s ecosystem for primary care, industry analysts say. The retail behemoth announced April 30 it would be closing all 51 of its health centers across five states, along with its virtual-health service. Five…
Congressional hearings on the Change Healthcare cyberattack bring attention to providers’ continuing predicament
Two congressional hearings involving the CEO of UnitedHealth Group offered few concrete solutions to the issues surrounding the Change Healthcare cyberattack but did highlight the ongoing pressures facing healthcare stakeholders. Andrew Witty, the CEO, was questioned May 1 by the Senate Finance Committee in the morning and a House subcommittee in the afternoon. For providers…
Demonstrating revenue cycle excellence just got easier with the newest HFMA certification
The Executive of Healthcare Revenue Cycle (EHRC) certification, HFMA’s newest member recognition, has been quite popular with members since it was announced in mid-February. As of March 31, 22 HFMA members had applied for the EHRC certification and 18 members earned it, demonstrating excellence in revenue cycle, said Shirley Heavlin, certification operations manager for HFMA.…
Seeking to improve healthcare for Medicaid beneficiaries, CMS issues a flurry of regulations
CMS over the last month published a trio of final rules intended to make the Medicaid program work better for beneficiaries, with implications for healthcare providers. The three rules address eligibility and enrollment, access and Medicaid managed care. Streamlining eligibility and enrollment The first rule addresses administrative barriers in an effort to simplify enrollment processes…
FTC challenge adds to the strain on the hospital-based anesthesiology workforce
A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenge to the purchase of a major anesthesia provider, after a rocky couple of years for anesthesia providers, has created an even murkier outlook for hospital-based anesthesia services. The FTC’s suit, filed in September against U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc. (USAP) and the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe,…
Reimagining charity care: How Monument Health puts patients first with an innovative financial assistance program
Deepak Manmohan Goyal, MD, MBBS, MBA, executive director for revenue cycle and supply chain at Monument Health, remembers the case of a 40-year-old patient with late-stage cancer who sought care at the Rapid City, S.D., health system a few years ago before succumbing to her disease. An earlier and unrelated care episode ideally would have…