It is always interesting to follow the successes and failures of healthcare reform. The touted solution of Obamacare revolves around the formation of the Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Recently, there has been quite a bit of press about the failure of ACO’s and more recently United Healthcare has publicly reported that they will be dropping out… Read More
It is impossible to determine from a discharge diagnosis or a chief complaint who has an emergency medical condition and who can be seen later in another setting. We can all recount stories of someone triaged as at a low level and was determined by the physician to have require emergency surgery or have a… Read More
An article in the April 20. 2016 issue of Modern Healthcare reports that CMS will delay release of the their hospital quality star ratings. Excerpts of the article go through the rationale and role out. The federal government has been promoting the ratings for hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities and other providers as a… Read More
Everyone wants to be like Kaiser. Many people saw this as a potential issue that I think will increasingly become the norm. The consolidation of the healthcare industry will move to more and more entities controlling all aspects of the healthcare delivery financing model. A report y McKinsey and Company as reported in Modern Healthcare… Read More
As the number of overdoses linked to the potent painkiller fentanyl has grown over the past two days to 48, nearly two weeks after the first reports of such overdoses began popping up in the Sacramento region, the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday. No additional deaths have been reported, leaving… Read More
Once touted as a way to save money for the healthcare system, a study published in Health Affairs by the RAND Corporation indicates that these clinics may actually increase costs without providing any additional value to the system. In the last decade these clinics have proliferated across United States and their estimates there are approximately… Read More
Sutter Health is taking an interesting approach and utilizing its market share to possibly force employers into arbitration clauses and protect its market strength. Sutter Health has hospitals in more than 100 communities in Northern California; it reported $11 billion in revenue last year, with an operating profit of $287 million. Sutter Health, a large… Read More
TULARE HOSPITAL BOARD DISCHARGES ENTIRE MEDICAL STAFF OF 135: UPDATE Dave Adalian Following the publication of the article “Tulare Hospital Board Discharges Entire Medical Staff of 135,” the Valley Voice was contacted by a publicity firm and attorneys representing Tulare Local Health Care District (TLHCD) and Health Care Conglomerate Associates to raise objections to facts… Read More
The results are out: 3% winners and 97% losers in the first go around on Medicare bonuses for the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBM) program in 2014. No one knew what exactly to expect when the instituted the VBM program but no one expected these lopsided results and clearly now it appears these results are like a… Read More
