Editor's Note More than 700 rural hospitals, representing 31% of all rural hospitals in the country, are at risk of closure, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. Chief Healthcare Executive reported the news August 8. According to the article, 16% of all rural…

Read More

Editor's Note Medicare and patient out-of-pocket costs are rising as vertical integration results in more procedures moving to hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) than to ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), Becker’s ASC Review reported on August 8. The article summarizes a study published July 25 in Science Direct. Described as "physician vertical…

Read More

Editor's Note The Supreme Court’s recent “Chevron” ruling could offer additional financial security to hundreds of so-called "tweener" rural hospitals—those too large to be considered critical access hospitals but too small to be rural referral centers. Modern Healthcare reported the news July 29. According to the article, critical access hospitals,…

Read More

Editor's Note The American Medical Association (AMA) annual, nationwide prior authorization survey reveals that over 90% of physicians believe prior authorization negatively impacts patient clinical outcomes. “More telling,” AMA reported July 17, is the fact that 78% of physicians report that this process “sometimes or often” leads to patients abandoning…

Read More

Editor's Note Hospital groups are criticizing CMS' proposed 2.6% pay increase for 2025, deeming it insufficient for nonprofit hospitals with operating margins near or below zero, according to a July 11 article in Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals argue the rise won't cover…

Read More

Editor's Note On July 10, CMS proposed Medicare payment rates for hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) services for 2025.  Published annually, the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and ASC Payment System Proposed Rule will have a 60-day comment period, which this year ends September 9 prior to…

Read More

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is one of the most common procedures in the US. Performed more than 17.1 million times per year in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings as well as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), GI procedures account for 68% of all endoscopies, according to a May 2022 article in Digestive…

Read More

Editor's Note Personal information about a “substantial portion of people in America” could be at risk from the February 21 cyberattack on UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare division, The Associated Press reported April 23. Although the company reports no signs of full medical histories or charts were released, notifying all who were…

Read More

Editor's Note Starting in 2025, Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will be required to participate in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey to comply with the ASC Quality Reporting Program, reports the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and Outpatient Surgery Magazine…

Read More

Editor's Note Fallout from the February 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare continues to threaten physician practices and their patients nationwide, with respondents to a recent American Medical Association (AMA) survey indicating difficulties with insurance claims and eligibility verification. AMA published the results of the informal survey April 10. Conducted March…

Read More