Topic:
Financial Management
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
Price transparency should start with insurers
Insurers, providers and some of their lobbying groups have issued new recommendations that give payers a leading role in advancing price transparency in healthcare.
Current ACA challenge: Understanding contracts
Only months into Affordable Care Act implementation, one of the biggest remaining challenges for physician practices is understanding contracts with new health exchange plans, noted consultant Mary Pat Whaley in a recent Manage My Practice blog post.
Transition from medical to pharmacy benefit to save big
The cost of specialty medications is expected to rise to $235 billion by 2018, providing many cost-related challenges to payers. To off-set these costs, health insurers can move prescription benefits from medical to pharmacy coverage, according to a new Milliman report commissioned by CVS Caremark.
'Traditional' practice gets more diverse
Facing more competition from retail and urgent care centers than ever, doctors increasingly offer more diverse services not typically found in the traditional private practice, from cosmetic procedures to urgent care, according to an article from the News-Star.
Physician burnout reaches fever pitch
Rampant professional burnout drives more doctors to sell their practices, slash their patient panels or retire early, according to an article from the Washington Post. The problem is particularly acute in primary care, where physicians manage patients' comprehensive needs, yet get as little as 11 minutes to spend with each of them.
Docs who drop insurance take on big business risks
Like many physicians who switched to cash practice, brothers Jonathan Izbicki, D.O. and Harry Izbicki, D.O., experience a rosy view of life without insurance hassles, U.S. News & World Report reported.
Qualified consumers receive $10B in premium subsidies
Consumers have qualified for nearly $10 billion in subsidies to help them purchase private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, finds a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
AMA advises docs on how to address 'grace period' with patients
Physician survival of the "grace period" attached to government-subsidized health plans will depend on a clear and timely chain of communication--from health plan to provider to patient. The American Medical Association offers guidance to help physicians work with patients to understand their financial responsibilities to insurers and health providers.
Employment or solo practice: Which is right for you?
There are pros and cons to every practice model. A recent Medscape survey of 4,600 doctors--including many with experience in both environments--compared how physicians feel about employment versus working for themselves.
Updated SGR repeal plans draw political controversy
Legislation that would permanently repeal Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) may be in jeopardy after Republicans inserted language that would delay the Affordable Care Act's mandate requiring that all individuals obtain health insurance, NPR reported.
