CMS tweaks local coverage policy to speed access to medical devices

AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker said the agency's actions are commendable, but more should be done.

By David Lim • Oct. 5, 2018

NYC Health + Hospitals looks to turn around declining outpatient operations

The public health system that cares for more than 1 million New Yorkers each year is expected to have a deficit of $1.8 billion by FY 2020, and this strategy is part of a larger attempt to make a financial turnaround.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 4, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Provider burnout

Hospitals are still struggling with provider burnout, after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated underlying staffing issues and prompted workers to quit their jobs.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Massachusetts nurse staffing mandate could cost nearly $950M annually

If the ballot question passes, hospitals in the state would have to hire as many as 3,100 additional full-time nurses to be in compliance, according to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.

By Tony Abraham • Oct. 4, 2018

Hospitals charge nonconventional payers more than health insurers, study finds

Automobile and workers' compensation insurers paid hospitals about 50% more than HMOs or PPOs for the same service, according to the report by Johns Hopkins University researchers.

By Meg Bryant • Oct. 3, 2018

Nearly half of ER physicians have been physically assaulted, survey finds

About 80% of those surveyed by the American College of Emergency Physicians said violence in the ER affected patient care, and more than half of them said patients were physically harmed.

By Meg Bryant • Oct. 3, 2018

Intermountain's Liljenquist on price transparency, insulin and having 3 brothers with diabetes

The man behind the push for a new drug venture talks about how he hopes the move will force transparency across the healthcare continuum.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 3, 2018

Local pop health programs show promise, studies show

Studies published in Health Affairs this week found cost savings and health improvements for an Indianapolis program using wraparound services and a Maryland initiative focused on community care coordination.

By Tony Abraham • Oct. 3, 2018

Improving patient care: The intelligent enterprise for healthcare

While every healthcare provider strives to deliver high-quality care, the business of healthcare can get in the way of treating patients and their families.

Oct. 3, 2018

Patient-matching tools viable but nowhere near perfect, Pew says

A report from the group recommends clarifying government funding restrictions for unique identifiers, agreeing on standardized demographics and assessing privacy ramifications to improve practices.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 2, 2018

CHI finishes FY18 with income boost despite admissions slip

Operating income increased 53% year over year for the Englewood, Colorado-based nonprofit health system, while acute admissions, outpatient visits and outpatient surgeries all dropped.

By Tony Abraham • Oct. 2, 2018

Nearly a third of health IT developers producing FHIR products, ONC says

More than half of health IT developers are using FHIR combined with OAuth 2.0, the industry standard for authorization, according to a new report from the government agency.

By Meg Bryant • Oct. 2, 2018

Top Texas health systems agree to merge

Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White and Memorial Hermann in Houston have agreed to combine operations. If the deal is finalized, the new company will run 68 hospitals in the Lone Star State.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 1, 2018

Pathology ripe for digitalization, but obstacles remain, report finds

Fewer than 5% of providers have moved to full service digital pathology services, according to Signify Research.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 28, 2018

Hospitals prepare for uncompensated care payment change

The move is meant to even the playing field for hospitals and create more transparency.

By Les Masterson • Sept. 28, 2018

Readmission reduction program not associated with increased mortality, study finds

Researchers looked at mortality rates among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for three common conditions and sought to evaluate the effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

By Tony Abraham • Sept. 28, 2018

Opioid interventions can curb overprescribing, boost MAT access, JAMA studies show

Though the root cause of the opioid crisis is still being debated, many attribute it to the rapid growth in prescribing starting in the 1990s and peaking in 2012 — a 300% expansion according to some metrics.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 28, 2018

Hackers exploit data in error messages to attack connected medical devices, report finds

Not all of the vendors notified of error message problems issued a patch, according to Zingbox.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 27, 2018

Bipartisan opioid bill has IMD exclusion, expands MAT

The legislation, which also opens up non-addictive pain management alternatives and increases enforcement of illegal fentanyl, is expected to pass both houses as early as next month.

By Les Masterson • Sept. 27, 2018

AHA study finds hospital outpatient departments see sicker, poorer Medicare patients than independent docs

The research comes as CMS is proposing site neutral payment for hospital and nonhospital outpatient clinics.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 26, 2018

UnitedHealthcare threatens to drop Envision providers

Envision, which employs more than 23,000 clinicians, said it is preparing to continue to serve patients and hospitals "without disruption regardless of the contract status with any payer."

By Les Masterson • Sept. 26, 2018

CHS subsidiary coughs up $262M for fraud settlement

Health Management Associates incorrectly billed government payers in a physician kickback scheme between 2008 and 2012. With the settlement, the government agreed not to bring criminal charges against the hospital chain.

By Tony Abraham • Sept. 26, 2018

Hospital leaders see little relief from rising labor budgets, survey shows

To cut expenses, executives will focus on labor costs and supply chain productivity, according to a report from the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Navigant.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 25, 2018

More than half of Americans share doctor experiences online, survey shows

Patients increasingly check doctors' online ratings, even those referred by another provider, according to the Binary Fountain.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 25, 2018

CVS execs promote proposed Aetna merger as cost saver

The deal would allow the pharmacy chain to have more touch points with the payer's members, particularly those with chronic diseases, company leaders said.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 25, 2018

Abbott's MitraClip keeps more heart valve patients alive in study

The device for minimally invasive repair of the mitral heart valve in patients with advanced heart failure and severe mitral regurgitation significantly reduced both hospitalizations and mortality.

By Susan Kelly • Sept. 24, 2018