bad debt

Health plans to boost premiums, squeeze providers

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

As readers know, several leading health plans have taken a profitability beating over the last several months, for reasons that include operational issues, medical costs and losses in the financial Read more...

Study: Uninsured ranks could be much lower

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

I know, you do everything you can to qualify patients for government programs when they're uninsured and need care. Despite that, uninsured patients continue to generate high bad debt levels for Read more...

MN governor vetoes medical debt history bill

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has vetoed a bill that would have banned healthcare providers from collecting, using Read more...

Hospital, family tussle over bills for dead patient

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Here's the kind of story that gives hospital collections departments a bad name. It seems that due to internal communication problems, a Seattle-based healthcare provider continued to bill the Read more...

Providers could face big squeeze in '09

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Next year isn't likely to be pretty for providers. As a story in this week's newsletter notes, insurance companies have been watching profits fall, so they're likely to raise premiums in 2009. Then, Read more...

Insurer troubles could mean more bad debt for providers

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

In recent weeks, health insurers have started announcing financial results, and the news hasn't been good. WellPoint, for example, Read more...

Trend: Hospitals requiring upfront cash payments before treatment

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Of late, a growing number of hospitals have been insisting on cash payments before they offer high-ticket services to non-emergency patients if they're not sure they'll get paid. While such Read more...

Revenue growth slows at PA hospitals

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

It was a good news/bad news situation for Pennsylvania hospitals last year. On the one hand, revenues continued to grow and margins climbed--but on the other hand, growth slowed from the previous Read more...

Study: Better records could boost self-pay collections

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Struggling to manage your bad debt load? You're not alone--but some of the pain may not be necessary. According to a new study, a good percentage of the self-pay accounts hospitals write off could Read more...

Readers share thoughts on not-for-profit ratings

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Last week in this space, I said that while I understand why Wall Street ratings firms focus Read more...