By Sara R. Collins & David Blumenthal MD – New estimates released this week by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) show that annual growth in U.S. health care spending increased to 5.3 percent in 2014, up from 2.9 percent in 2013, after five consecutive years of historically low growth.
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By Rohan Kulkarni – Growth in healthcare spending in the United States is slowing down, however it’s still growing and continues to outpace gross domestic product (GDP) spending by several points. Revolutionary trends are emerging for all healthcare service providers (i.e., payers, providers and pharmaceuticals), that will guarantee radical shifts in how these providers serve their patients, as well as how business process outsourcing (BPO)vendors serve their healthcare clients.
By Sarianne Gruber – Population Health Management strives for health providers to care for their patients with the overarching goal of improving quality outcomes, coupled with lower costs. Healthcare reform expects the inclusion of all associated costs of care and treatment for a comprehensive analysis as a means to reduce the per capita cost of healthcare.
By Jonathan Catley – You’ve optimized your medical practice’s website, but your conversion rates haven’t budged. Look for the following causes of poor conversion rates to find the root of the problem.
The Joint Commission has developed two new resources to help health care providers in their efforts to reduce patient readmissions and improve the discharge process. The resources are a new Speak Up campaign for providers and organizations to educate patients.
By Dr. Patrick Conway – Almost a year ago, the Administration announced a vision for the future of the Medicare program, including clear goals and a timeline for shifting Medicare payments from volume to value. CMS is continually working to turn this vision into reality through annual rulemaking and the CMS Innovation Center, building on bipartisan ideas, initiatives and legislation from both Congress and the states.
If you missed the HIMSS Revenue Cycle Solutions Summit in Atlanta this week, here is a recap from the attendees and participants. Share our story with Storify.
By Eric C. Schneider MD – Proposed mergers among four of the nation’s largest health insurance companies have drawn media and policy attention. Critics see higher premiums ahead as insurers no longer have to compete with one another. Advocates believe mergers can neutralize the price increases generated by a less visible merger.
HIMSS has released a survey to assess how providers are preparing for the shift to value-based payment models. Providers in all settings can participate. The survey will be available through 12/31/2015, with results shared at the HIMSS 16 in Las Vegas in February.