CMS extends deadline for new alternative bundled payment model
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is extending the deadline for its new alternative bundled payment model from August 1 to August 8, the July 5 Modern Healthcare reports. CMS extended the deadline after receiving complaints from providers and hospitals that they weren’t…
Accuracy of Medicare’s HACRP to identify outlier hospitals for SSIs
Editor's Note Medicare’s Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program’s (HACRP) measure for surgical site infections (SSIs) after hysterectomy and colectomy unfairly places hospitals that are not statistical outliers at risk for financial penalties, this study from the University of Michigan finds. SSIs occurred in 1.1% of hysterectomies and 4.8% of colectomies…
Effect of price transparency on ASCs
Editor's Note In this survey of six ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), Johns Hopkins researchers led by Martin Makary, MD, MPH, found that the majority increased patient satisfaction, volume, and revenue after publicly listing the prices of common surgical procedures. Five centers reported an increase in patient volume by a median…
Homeless veterans at increased risk of postop readmission
Editor's Note For veterans having surgical procedures performed in the VA healthcare system, homelessness is an important risk factor for unplanned readmission, finds this study. Analyzing 232,373 surgical procedures performed on 199,879 patients, researchers found that 5,068 of the procedures were performed on homeless patients. The rate of readmission within…
Preventability of early vs late readmissions
Editor's Note Early readmissions (within 7 days of discharge) were more likely to be preventable and amenable to hospital-based interventions, and late readmissions (8 to 30 days after discharge) were less likely to be preventable and more amenable to ambulatory and home-based interventions, this study finds. In this study of…
Study finds fewer postop adverse events in ASCs vs HOPDs
Editor's Note Patients having outpatient surgery in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) versus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) are less likely to be admitted to a hospital or visit an emergency department a short time after surgery, this study finds. The study is the first to provide causal evidence on ASC quality,…
CMS issues FY 2019 hospital IPPS proposed rule
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 24 issued its hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule for FY 2019. The proposed rule increases rates by 1.75%, which reflects the projected market-basket update of 2.8% for hospitals that were meaningful users of electronic health…
CMS accepting meaningful use hardship applications
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that eligible hospitals may submit hardship exception applications until July 1 to avoid 2019 meaningful use payment adjustments under the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and critical access hospitals may submit applications until November 30 to avoid…
Deadline for ASCQR program web-based measures fast approaching
Editor's Note The submission deadline for all Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) program web-based measures is May 15, 2018, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association reported on April 24. ASC-8: Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel is reported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network.…
Important ASC Medicare quality reporting deadlines approaching
Editor's Note All eligible Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that want to avoid future penalties must complete a new electronic form by April 14 via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network website in order to report on ASC-8: Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel, the Ambulatory…
Free Daily News
- FDA designates Class 1 recall for tracheostomy tubes
- Study: Preventing antibiotic-resistant infection surge could save millions
- Face transplant survival rates “encouraging,” global study finds
- Vertical integration reshaping US healthcare: Impact on cost, access
- ChristianaCare, Atlas Healthcare form joint venture to expand ASC network
- CMS calls for demonstrations of AI technology in healthcare
- Study: Adjuvant nivolumab reduces risk of death, lung cancer recurrence
- Analysis: Hospital safety, quality measures surpass pre-pandemic levels
- FDA: Class 1 infusion system recall expanded
- Anesthesia staffing, communication, patient safety: Q&A with OR Manager Conference speakers