Ascension could shift away from hospital focus, Modern Healthcare video finds

The 151-hospital system has realigned leadership and organizational efforts, including limiting business travel and instituting pay cuts for CEO Anthony Tersigni and his direct reports.

By Jeff Byers • March 23, 2018

Millennials more likely to use walk-in clinics, telemedicine, survey shows

Young people are shopping around more for providers and health plans, and are using online tools to support decision-making.  

By Meg Bryant • March 23, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Payer/provider relationships

As M&A intensifies and companies embrace more holistic and value-based care models, partnerships have become more closely intertwined.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Paper health records have privacy risks, study finds

An audit of recycling bins at five hospitals turned up nearly 2,700 documents containing patients’ personal information.

By Meg Bryant • March 22, 2018

AMA CEO: Digital health inches forward but needs direction

"Eventually somebody — and it's doubtful that'll be the AMA — is going to have to be a certifying body," Dr. James Madara told Healthcare Dive.

By Jeff Byers • March 22, 2018

Advocate-Aurora merger clears regulatory hurdle, on track for April 1 close

The merger would create the 10th largest U.S. nonprofit, integrated system, with combined annual revenues of about $11 billion.   

By Les Masterson • March 22, 2018

Geisinger plans pilot to help patients get to appointments

Geisinger’s program will also provide transportation for non-clinical, but health-related reasons, such as going to counseling, a pharmacy, a grocery store or to a job interview.

By Les Masterson • March 22, 2018

Highmark Health's provider arm has best ever operating performance year

The company said its ACA plans were also profitable for the first time in 2017.  

By Les Masterson • March 21, 2018

Lifepoint to sell 3 LA hospitals to Allegiance Health Management

It's the latest sale as for-profit hospitals try to pare debt.

By Jeff Byers • March 21, 2018

HHS makes case against hospitals' 340B suit in new filing

"Setting aside the final rule for 2018 would direct payments away from these other services while creating administrative havoc in the OPPS system," HHS argued in a court filing this week.

By David Lim • March 21, 2018

Urgent care claims skyrocket; ER claims pale in contrast

A new FAIR Health analysis of more than 25 billion privately billed healthcare claims found large differences in growth depending on the place of service.  

By Les Masterson • March 21, 2018

Washington hospital lays off nearly a quarter of leadership

In January, the 140-bed hospital laid off 21 employees after subcontracting billing services.

By Meg Bryant • March 20, 2018

Dignity Health reaches contract deal with 15K California workers

Workers sought a new agreement as Dignity Health prepares to merge with Catholic Health Initiatives.

By Meg Bryant • March 20, 2018

Hospital prices see biggest gain in years, hiring on upswing

Hospital prices grew at their highest rate since 2009. Overall healthcare costs saw the highest increase since 2012.  

By Les Masterson • March 19, 2018

AMA survey says prior authorizations hurting clinical outcomes

Nearly one-third of physicians said they needed to wait at least three business days for a prior authorization decision, and doctors say the payer requests are rising.  

By Les Masterson • March 19, 2018

Reducing inappropriate joint replacements could save billions

Lack of patient education, variation in device prices and use of inpatient versus outpatient settings help fuel unnecessary costs around these procedures, according to a viewpoint in JAMA.

By Meg Bryant • March 16, 2018

CHS hires advisers to restructure debt

The news comes as the hospital operator came off a weak 2017, compared to 2016.

By Jeff Byers • March 16, 2018

CMS star ratings biased towards specialty hospitals, analysis suggests

Specialty hospitals reported fewer measures than major teaching hospitals, and frequently omitted mortality data.

By Meg Bryant • March 16, 2018

Female doctors earn 28% less than men, report finds

Doximity found doctors saw a 4% wage increase from 2016 to 2017, but a persistent wage gap is widening.

By Les Masterson • March 15, 2018

340B accountability under fire at Senate panel

The hearing comes as drugmakers point fingers at hospitals and other players involved in the drug pricing system.

By David Lim • March 15, 2018

Ascension's Michigan layoffs at 500 and counting

The cuts include 20 management-level jobs.

By Meg Bryant • March 14, 2018

Hospitals acquired 5K physician practices in 1-year period

The report concluded that physicians struggle to maintain independent practices because payer policies "increasingly favor integrated health systems."

By Shannon Muchmore • March 14, 2018

More employers go direct to providers, sidestepping payers

A recent survey found that only 6% of employers contract directly with providers now, but 22% are considering it for 2019.

By Les Masterson • March 14, 2018

NQF guide aims to help doctors include patients in care decisions

The goal is to make shared decisionmaking a standard of care, the National Quality Forum said.

By Meg Bryant • March 13, 2018

Hospitals are having trouble finding employees, survey shows

Nearly three-fourths of searches for hospital leaders took more than four months to fill and more than a third took longer than seven months, Leaders for Today says.

By Meg Bryant • March 13, 2018

ECRI Institute announces top patient safety concerns

The institute said healthcare organizations can use its list to "identify priorities and create corrective action plans."

By Les Masterson • March 13, 2018