Understanding bipartisan push for site-neutral Medicare payments aiming to curb healthcare costs, consolidation
Editor's Note Amid growing concerns over healthcare spending and affordability, there is bipartisan interest in aligning Medicare payments for outpatient services across various care settings through "site-neutral" payments, KFF June 14 reports. As a June 2023 Modern Healthcare article explains, last year Congress reviewed legislation to expand site-neutral payment policies,…
State legislative challenges impacting ASCs: Updates from North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, South Carolina
Editor's Note In a recent ASCA Audio Update, Charlie Leonard, public relations and public affairs consultant, spoke with Steven Obrech, associate director of government affairs at ASCA, to discuss various legislative issues affecting ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). This discussion showcased ongoing legislative challenges and efforts to support ASC operations at…
AI, more pay help healthcare executives combat worsening nurse shortage
Editor's Note Healthcare executives expect the US nurse shortage to worsen, according to the 2024 Healthcare Executive Report from Incredible Health, a career marketplace for healthcare workers. Projected to reach 1 million by 2030, the shortage is exacerbating stress on current staff and compromising care quality, according to the company’s June…
Florida allows C-sections outside hospitals amid controversy over safety, cost
Editor's Note Florida became the first US state to permit doctors to perform cesarean sections (C-sections) outside hospitals, siding with a private equity-owned physicians group advocating for cost reduction and a homier birthing environment, KFF Health News and HealthLeaders May 28 reports. However, the hospital industry and the American College…
Colorado passes first state-level AI regulations
Editor's Note Colorado is the first state in naton to pass legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in pivotal decision-making, including in healthcare, according to a May 22 report in Politico. The new law has sparked significant debate, according to the report, with some viewing it as a…
How awareness evolves to action on surgeon, patient gender gaps
Takeaways Although women comprise half the population, they were left out of medical research on major causes of death for both women and men—cancer, heart disease, and stroke—until 1990. Using surgical tools designed by men, for men can impact every aspect of a woman surgeon’s work, from learning new procedures…
State grant helps build healthcare talent pipeline
Editor's Note A health system in Colorado is benefitting handsomely from Opportunity Now Colorado, a state grant program designed to provide a growing workforce with a variety of new job opportunities. Intermountain Health, which announced the $1.9 million seed grant in an April 25 press release, will reportedly use the…
Kentucky passes first-ever state law decriminalizing medical mistakes
Editor's Note Healthcare workers in Kentucky will become the first in the country to gain protection from criminal prosecution for medical errors, WKYT reported April 30. Passed unanimously by both chambers of the Kentucky legislature and signed by Gov. Andy Beshear in March, the law was championed by the Kentucky…
Recognize, report, prevent: Building accountability for workplace violence
Anyone doubting the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) in the healthcare setting need only search online for “injuries to healthcare workers.” In a sector rife with occupational hazards—from slips and falls to sharps injuries and infections—a significant portion of the links are sure to mention WPV, with many even focusing…
#PatientSafetyAwarenessWeek: Bipartisan National Patient Safety Board Act reintroduced to Congress
Editor's Note US Representatives from California and Texas reintroduced the National Patient Safety Board (NPSB) Act, which aims to establish a public-private research and development team “dedicated to preventing and reducing healthcare-related harms." The March 11 announcement comes during Patient Safety Awareness Week, an annual awareness initiative focusing on the…
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- Renewed push for healthcare price transparency faces familiar challenges