Although consolidations appeared to slow in 2014, experts now report that transactions have substantially increased in the first quarter of 2015. One firm that tracks merger & acquisition activity noted 346 deals in January through March 2015, up 109 percent from the same quarter last year. A preliminary analysis of these transactions by Irving […]
Clinical Integration may be a smart addition to employing physicians. But how does a hospital/system start; where does it begin? Last week we wrote about the advantages and characteristics of a clinically integrated network. Today we focus on how to build one. Again, our source is the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s report, Taking Smart […]
As payment moves from volume to value, many hospitals/health systems have begun to employ physicians as a business strategy, seeking to align with physicians around common goals and objectives. The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) reports, however, “many health systems have found that alignment does not automatically follow employment and that the employment model can […]
Note: iProtean Connect will take a break next week because of the iProtean Symposium at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently provided more information on its “Next Generation of ACO Model,” an initiative for accountable care organizations (ACOs) that are experienced in […]
Moody’s Investor Service analysts characterize the current legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as “significant downside risk” if the Supreme Court strikes down federal subsidies for consumers purchasing insurance on the federal health exchange. If it rules in favor of the government, there will be no impact. On March 4, the Supreme […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a proposed rate cut of 0.95 percent for Medicare Advantage plans for 2016; the cut actually would result in an average rate increase of 1.05 percent after factoring in an expected increase in risk scores. Investors were pleased. The proposed cut is smaller than […]
Efficiencies in delivery of care for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia for Medicare patients increased sharply from 2002 to 2011, according to a study to be published in Health Affairs in March. Heart attack and heart failure productivity grew 0.62 percent and 0.78 percent respectively; productivity growth for pneumonia reached 1.9 percent. Researchers […]
Despite earlier reports about a slowdown in job growth in hospitals in 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a robust increase in 2014, continuing through January 2015. The healthcare sector added 38,000 jobs in January; hospitals alone added nearly 10,000 jobs. In 2014, the healthcare sector averaged 26,000 new jobs per month. […]
Large health systems and other healthcare groups including the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association (AHA) have approached the current Administration with suggestions about how to rework the Medicare Shared Savings Program’s accountable care organizations (ACOs). These groups contend that the timeframe for taking on risk is too short and the bonuses […]
Last week we reported that the Department of Health and Human Services announced its initiative that 50 percent of Medicare payments be delivered through alternative payment models by 2019. This is the first time Medicare has set specific time frames and payment percentages for the shift away from fee-for-service payments. Provider advocates, according to […]