Working to steady the ship: 4 takeaways from the Not-for-Profit Healthcare Investor Conference
As described at a recent conference, hospitals and health systems are retaining a sense of optimism while navigating some of the biggest challenges the industry has seen. Pressures on both revenue and expenses require leaders to try innovative solutions while also continuing to master the nuts and bolts of hospital operations, C-suite executives said May…
The Healthcare CFO of the Future: Turning risk into opportunity
The role of the healthcare CFO is evolving — and so are the skills needed for success. Here, CFOs and industry experts explore the new competencies CFOs must possess and how leaders in this space are preparing for the future.
With finances more stable, healthcare CFOs eye growth opportunities
Even with lingering financial constraints, healthcare CFOs see room for initiatives that will help their organizations enhance revenue and perhaps even profitability. “We’re finally in that post-pandemic phase in the sense that organizations are starting to see margins stabilize,” said Alina Henderson, vice president for healthcare solutions with Strata Decision Technology. In Strata’s survey (registration…
Hospital financial metrics suggest need for added Medicare payment, MedPAC says
Hospital metrics suggest FY26 Medicare payment should increase by more than what’s provided in the statutory formula, according to a formal recommendation by the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Beneficiary access to care appeared to be strong in 2023, the latest year for which data was available, but quality indicators were mixed, according to…
Where value-based payment is headed during the second Trump administration
Like much of federal healthcare policy in the next few years, the push to improve value-based payment and accountable care figures to be influenced by two distinctive aspects of the Trump administration: MAHA and DOGE. MAHA is Make America Healthy Again, the movement championed by new HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while DOGE is…
Addressing social determinants of health in revenue cycle management
Integrating SDoH into RCM provides equitable care and improves financial outcomes. By addressing economic and social barriers early in the RCM process, providers enhance patient experiences and reduce costs. This approach aligns with value-based care models and improves overall health outcomes.
Various 340B issues mean potential headaches for providers in 2025
The 340B Drug Pricing Program, a key source of cost savings for participating hospitals, faces intensifying pressure in the early part of the new year. Drug companies are pursuing efforts to limit the ability of hospitals to realize their full allotment of savings, while Congress eyes the program as a possible way to trim federal…
Hospital financials projected to continue trending upward despite various X-factors
Hospitals are coming off a year of improved stability that should continue even with looming questions and challenges for 2025, according to recent data and insights. As reported in December, Fitch Ratings upgraded the sector outlook (login required) for not-for-profit (NFP) hospitals to neutral/stable after more than two years in which the outlook was categorized…
Benchmark tool for revenue cycle automation finds some success
A just over one-year-old revenue cycle management benchmarking tool has been working well for two early adopters of the framework, called the Revenue Cycle Management Technology Adoption Model (RCMTAM). The Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance (PMHA) and UC San Diego Health (UCSD) have used the model to gain more clarity on how their RCM operations are…
Texas Health Resources enhances self-scheduling with flexible options
Amid expected growth in demand from patients to schedule their own clinic visits, an Arlington, Texas-based health system learned that in practice some patients want more than just the ability to go online to choose a visit time, date and provider. Officials for Texas Health Resources (THR) found that out while implementing a new self-scheduling…