Healthcare News of Note: Xavier Becerra likely to be confirmed as next U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles, including information on the likely confirmation of Xavier Becerra as HHS secretary, which specialists are seeing an uptick in patients and lingering health issues from COVID-19.
Haven and the dynamics of transformational change
HFMA President and CEO Joe Fifer offers a perspective on the implications of Haven’s dissolution for healthcare finance leaders.
The evolution of integrated health system leader roles
Leadership of an integrated health system has become an increasingly complex undertaking today because of the many roles a leader must assume.
The fall of Haven, but the persistence of Amazon
Although many might have viewed the decision by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to shut down Haven, their ambitious joint venture, as a setback for Amazon, in particular, there is good reason to believe Amazon has not given up plans for a deeper involvement in healthcare.
News Briefs: Latest patient volume data reveals some of the challenges facing hospitals in the COVID-19 era
Recent industry reports have quantified the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital patient volume.
RAND report finds regulating hospital prices would be the most effective way to reduce healthcare spending, but are the proposals viable?
The American Hospital Association had a negative reaction to study findings showing that regulation of hospital prices would be the most effective way to reduce prices paid by commercial insurers.
Front-line stories: How today’s prior authorization processes create a burden of waste for providers
As hospitals continue to struggle with razor-thin margins, they should actively identify activities that create financial burdens for them without delivering value to patients. One health system’s stories of administrative waste due to prior authorization processes show why this activity should be be high on their list.
Healthcare finance leaders emphasize efficiency and consider partnerships in response to ongoing trends
To address the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare finance leaders are considering both internal and external solutions, according to recently issued reports.
January brings a halt to job gains for hospitals and the healthcare industry
January numbers form the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that hospitals and the healthcare industry lost jobs after several months of gains.
Latest patient volume data highlights some of the challenges facing hospitals in the COVID-19 era
Hospital patient volumes show signs of rebounding in some areas but continue to lag in others, especially in the ED.