A new KLAS report shows that patient financial engagement technology should do more than process payments so providers can boost revenue while improving the patient experience. Early adopters of the technology report that solutions implemented primarily to process payments are “outdated and inaccurate,” resulting in low satisfaction among both patients and providers, revealed the […]
To reduce care variation, SSM and Optum will use clinical technologies, advanced analytic and data-driven insights at the point of care. Certain SSM Health revenue cycle staff and hospital care management will become employees of Optum. They will continue to work in their current locations across Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. WHY THIS MATTERS As […]
On average, Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans scored 4.37 stars for the 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. Over nine in ten Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans (94.26 percent) received a 3.5 star rating or higher on the 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, with an average star rating of 4.37 stars, CMS announced. In contrast, in 2019 over […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzed performance data from providers who participated in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) between 2017 and 2019 and found that some providers experienced MIPS challenges. Under MIPS, CMS monitors provider performance in four different categories: quality, improvement activities, promoting interoperability, and cost. The providers receive scores in each […]
Kaufman Hall predicts hospital operating margins will fall 80% below pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021. Projecting cash flow always has been a challenge, but now that hospitals are operating on extremely tight margins, access to accurate projections is critical. On a related note, research from Market cube and Waystar found that fewer […]
HHS reduced the Medicare appeals backlog by 79 percent during the third quarter of FY 2021, putting the department ahead of schedule to clear the backlog. As of June 30, 2021, the end of the third quarter of FY 2021, HHS had 86,063 pending appeals remaining at the Office of Medicare Hearing and Appeals […]
UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Aetna, and Cigna returned to the list of the top five largest health insurers and one newcomer joined the list. UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Aetna, and Cigna held onto their status as the top four largest insurers, but in 2020 Kaiser rose to fifth place. AMA was careful to point out that data […]
In its simplest form, revenue cycle management is the process healthcare providers use to ask for, track, and collect revenue for services rendered to patients. But as medical billing gets more complex, revenue cycle management is expanding beyond the business office. At Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, for example, revenue cycle management also includes […]
Advanced primary care can help employers control costs and coordinate care, but many employers do not know how to start and scale such a solution in their employer-sponsored health plans, according to a report from the Duke-Margolis Center. Primary care is an essential part of preventing high-cost health conditions among employees. However, only slightly more […]
Prime’s New Jersey hospitals will continue to honor the rates and services in the agreements until the end of the cooling off period. The decision impacts Saint Clare’s Health in Denville, Dover and Boonton, Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, and Saint Mary’s General Hospital in Passaic. Dr. Sonia Mehta, regional CEO and chief medical […]