How specialty drugs are remaking healthcare and driving up costs
This article has been updated with news of additional policies announced by the Trump administration. Accelerating healthcare costs have less to do with traditional hospital and physician services than with surging drug spending, an industry expert says. “When we can’t really see any trends in healthcare utilization increasing, the only thing that consistently shows up…
Financial sustainability is biggest pain point for healthcare leaders
If Claire Agnew could help healthcare boards understand one thing about healthcare finance, it’s the complexity finance leaders face in ensuring hospitals and health systems have the resources they need to deliver great care. “It’s brutal and much like dancing backward in high heels,” said Agnew, MBA, CPA, executive vice president and CFO for Valleywise…
New guide! The 5 advantages of syndromic testing
Discover how single-system syndromic testing can accelerate turnaround times and aid clinicians in identifying specific infections, even when symptoms are unclear.
Key Senate committee eyes healthcare reform in the name of affordability
As described at a recent Senate hearing, hospitals, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) all are under scrutiny by Congress in efforts to curb the growth in healthcare costs. The Senate Health, Labor Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a July 31 hearing to examine ways to make healthcare more affordable for consumers and other…
Annual Conference Day 1: HFMA’s Ann Jordan announces new tool to quantify the performance of the healthcare industry
HFMA is formally taking the lead in providing the healthcare industry with true measurements of the system’s capacity to meet present and future demand, President and CEO Ann Jordan announced Sunday. While kicking off HFMA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Denver, Jordan described the launch of the U.S. Healthcare Vitals Tracker, which “creates a common starting…
Unlocking ECMO’s Strategic Value: Moving Beyond Rescue to ROI
This whitepaper summarizes the financial benefits of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and the patient care it provides, with tips for getting started with an ECMO program, optimizing reimbursements, and partnering with an experienced ECMO provider.
How one health system trimmed clinical spending waste by improving decision support
An effective clinical decision support (CDS) system is paramount in initiatives to curb wasteful spending in clinical settings, says Arun Mathews, MD, regional chief medical officer with MultiCare, a 13-hospital system based in Tacoma, Wash. CDS technology incorporated in MultiCare’s electronic health record has helped save $179.14 per accepted recommendation regarding lab and medication orders,…
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,…
As RFK Jr. prepares to take on HHS, where is he likely to have the greatest impact?
The Senate will vote this week on whether Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Nick Hut discusses what he plans to do in the role and where he’s likely to have the greatest influence on the industry.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. articulates his views on chronic disease, vaccines, Medicaid
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will seek to chart a new course for U.S. healthcare if he becomes HHS secretary, he explained during a Jan. 29 confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. “President Trump has asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again because I’m in a unique position to…