On Thursday, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet L. Sanders rejected an agreement for Partners HealthCare to acquire South Shore Hospital in Weymouth and two Hallmark Health System hospitals, in Medford and Melrose, Boston Globe reports. Outlined in a 48-page decision, Sanders found the settlement was to complex for the court to properly enforce and did not provide sufficient protections to keep Partners’ market power in check. According to Sander, the acquisition would “cement Partners’
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Healthcare Policy Regulation & Reform | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
5 Key Steps to Reduce Outpatient Coding Denials
Assessing current outpatient coding procedures and creating a plan that aligns HIM, clinical documentation improvement, and revenue cycle will help reduce claim denials and improve the overall financial health of your organization.
Time is money. It’s a well-known phrase that applies to every industry whether you are repairing a broken pipe or scrolling through endless pages of physician dictation to find the specific detail needed for a code. Efficiency is a key component to keeping
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Cigna Launches Collaborative Care Initiative with Duke Connected Care
Cigna has launched a collaborative care initiative in the Greater Research Triangle with Duke Connected Care, a clinically integrated network consisting of physicians from Duke Medicine and select local practices. The goal of the new initiative is to improve access to health care, enhance care coordination, and achieve the goal of improved health, affordability and customer experience. This program is now one of 10 Cigna collaborative care initiatives in the Carolinas.
“A customer-centered
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PwC Report: Regulatory Innovation Should Adapt to New Health Economy
Forty-three percent of pharma and life sciences execs now support FDA evaluating drugs based on both clinical and economic effectiveness
Consumers and drug and device manufacturers are changing practices and shifting attitudes toward the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Increased pressures for speedy access to breakthrough drugs and medical devices, and a focus on value in addition to medical benefit, are driving these changes. Those changes will likely put pressure on the FDA to consider
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Accenture: Top 5 Healthcare Investment Priorities for States
The State Health Innovation Plans developed by 25 states –with federal government support – reveal a variety of emerging approaches to healthcare reform that will likely take root and grow more broadly around the United States, according to a new report by Accenture. Accenture analysis of State Health Innovation Plans
(SHIPs) reveals that truly person-centered health and human services is not an empty vision.
Since the inception of the State Innovation Models initiative, CMS has invested
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Nemours Children’s Health System Joins The Coalition for ICD-10
The Coalition for ICD-10, a broad-based healthcare industry advocacy group united in support of the ICD-10 coding standard, today announced the addition of Nemours Children’s Health System to its membership roster. Nemours, an internationally recognized children's health system, is committed to improving the health of children through family-centered care in children’s hospitals and clinics in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, as well as world-changing research, education and
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ICD-10: Navigating the Road Ahead
In this Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) video, Ricardo Martinez, MD, FACEP, a practicing physician offers advice for small practices preparing for ICD-10. In the video, Dr. Martinez explains how to transition to ICD-10 in five steps:
1. Make a Plan—Look at the codes you use today and prepare your staff
2. Train Your Staff—Identify resources to help your staff get ready for the transition
3. Update Your Processes—Review your policies, procedures, forms, and templates
4.
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CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner To Step Down
CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced that she is stepping down from her post in February, agency officials confirmed Friday. Her replacement, former UnitedHealth Group executive Andy Slavitt will now serve as principal deputy administrator. Tavenner, 63, spent more than three years with CMS and faced critical criticism for the disastrous roll-out of HealthCare.gov in fall 2013 and Medicare operations. Tavenner's email to staff did not offer any explanation for her
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Should Physicians Tailor Patient Engagement Based on Age?
New patient engagement trends from TechnologyAdvice Research reveals digital engagement is a growing factor in how patients choose healthcare providers.
Quality of care has long been a primary factor in choosing a healthcare provider, but convenience and communication are also becoming key considerations for patients. Still, many physicians do not appear to be offering the digital engagement services that can meet those demands.
The Importance of Digital Services
According to a new
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Kyruus Partners with One of Nation’s Largest ACO Programs
Kyruus, a provider of Patient Access & Referral Management Solutions, announced today that it has partnered with Providence Health & Services, the third largest not-for-profit health system in the United States, to optimize access across its ACO network and provide an improved level of engagement to its consumers across the Northwest. This expanded engagement builds off the successful deployment of ProviderMatch for the Swedish Medical Access Center for the Providence-Swedish Health
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