GAO questions payment adjustments to IPPS hospitals
A new GAO report ound that Congress has modified how Medicare reimburses certain hospitals under the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS), with 91 percent of hospitals receiving an adjustment or exemption to the IPPS flat fee per stay.
A closer look at the Medicaid 'lifestyle'
Rural hospitals vulnerable in states without Medicaid expansion
Rural hospitals in states likely to opt out of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act could be hit the hardest by a continuing stream of uninsured patients coming through their doors, Marketplace has reported.
Meritus Health on its commitment to charity care
Study: Medicare cuts don't promote hospital cost-shifting
Contrary to the long-held belief that cuts in Medicare spending leads to cost-shifting over to private payer patients, a new study suggests that such private sector spending actually decreases.
DSH cuts could receive a reprieve
Hundreds of hospitals bracing for cuts in the federal disproportionate share program have gotten a reprieve from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Physician-owned hospitals looking for ways around ACA
Physician-owned hospitals are simultaneously lobbying to get some of the financial restrictions imposed by the Affordable Care Act lifted by Congress, while also expanding services that haven't been proscribed, reported The Wall Street Journal.
After CMS releases chargemaster data, hospitals mull price changes
Days after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released hospital chargemaster data for dozens of the most common procedures they perform, providers are mulling whether to cut their prices or do nothing at all.
How to reduce corruption risk in foreign healthcare acquisitions
With the U.S Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission setting targets on healthcare companies for anti-corruption enforcement, organizations looking to acquire healthcare entities operating abroad should take steps to prevent potential corruption.
Moody's: Not-for-profit hospitals must focus on quality
Not-for-profit hospitals are going to be more financially dependent on delivering care based on quality rather than volume, according to a new report by Moody's Investors Service. The shift has also prompted the ratings company to add more metrics for measuring the financial health of hospitals.
RACs reclaim $1.37B in overpayments as criticism mounts
In the first six months of fiscal 2013, Medicare recovery auditors (RAC) collected $1.37 billion in overpayments and returned $65.4 million in underpayments, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS releases hospital price-comparison data
CMS today for the first time released data comparing average hospital charges for the 100 most common Medicare claims, illustrating wide variations not just across regions but within cities.
No Medicaid expansion as Florida legislative session ends
One of the most populous states in the nation is still apparently paralyzed about whether or nor to expand its Medicaid enrollment as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, reported Kaiser Health News.
4 ways hospitals can ease healthcare reform implementation
CMS proposes modest pay bumps for inpatient rehab, skilled nursing facilities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed rules calling for modest increases in payments for rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities, as well as a huge boost in awards for reporting Medicare fraud.
After Cooper Green closes, Birmingham hospitals left holding bag
Since Cooper Green Mercy Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., closed, the city's other safety net providers have been shortchanged on payments for treating low-income patients, reported the Birmingham News.
Hospitals worried about pending DSH cuts
Cuts to the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program go into effect on Oct. 1. Altogether, about $30 billion will be cut from DSH payments over the next decade.
Greater volume, intensity of care strains hospital EDs
A new study by the American Hospital Association has concluded that Medicare patients are receiving care in hospital emergency departments at greater rates and require more intensive care far than just a few years ago, impacting the cost of providing treatment.
Patients sue HHS to kill observation label
A legal battle started by Medicare patients left holding the bag on nursing home costs could indirectly impact the bottom line for hospitals, reported Kaiser Health News.
