"Tweener" hospitals eye financial relief after Supreme Court ruling
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,…
The US News journey to introduce a new ‘best’ ASCs ranking
Some 800,000 knee replacements and 550,000 hip replacements are performed in the US each year. Factoring in the ever-expanding aging population, projections show the figure for knee replacements alone will explode to 3.5 million procedures being done annually by 2030—and that is just one type of procedure within a single…
CMS releases proposed Medicare payment rates for outpatient, ASC services
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…
Private payers profit by delaying medical claims
Editor's Note Private payers initially deny reimbursement on 15% of claims, only to later approve more than half of those initial denials, according to a national survey of healthcare institutions published March 21 by Premiere, Inc. Additionally, the denied claims on average tend to be more prevalent for higher-cost treatments…
Study: Postoperative hospital readmissions higher for older Americans
Editor's Note Older Americans are at heightened risk for both short-term and long-term hospital readmission following major surgery, according to a study from Yale University published February 28 in Jama Network Open. Readmission places a major financial strain on health systems, researchers write, pointing out that the total cost…
Lack of primary care physicians tied to emergency surgeries
Editor's Note Research shows that Americans who live in areas with a limited number of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are at a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications. The findings were published March 4 in the journal Health Affairs. For the study, researchers looked at Medicare patient…
Medicare households have double the healthcare spending burden
Editor's Note The healthcare spending burden of Medicare households was double that of non-Medicare households in 2022, according to an analysis published by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) on March 14. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, KFF found that average health-related expenses made up 13.6% of Medicare households’ total…
Study: Nurses offer untapped potential to assess patient discharge readiness
Editor's Note Although few strategies for reducing readmission rates leverage nurse input, nurses are well-placed to identify patients most at risk, according to a study published in the March issue of the journal Medical Care. The authors note that older Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) continue to experience…
Study examines high emergency department use by transgender Medicare patients
Editor's Note A study showing greater likelihood for transgender (TGD) Medicare patients to use the emergency department highlights the need to train staff in transgender-inclusive care, the authors argue. Conducted by the Brown University School of Public Health, the study was published February 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine. As reported…
Study on cholecystectomy robotic surgery raises safety concerns
Editor's Note Despite the increasing prevalence of robotic-assisted surgery, recent data on cholecystectomy results indicates minimally invasive laparoscopic methods could be a safer option. Published in JAMA Surgery on September 20, the nationally representative study of Medicare beneficiary cholecystectomy patients showed a higher rate of bile duct injury (0.7%) for…
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- Large-scale studies link preoperative cognition to delirium risk, reveal its deadly toll after surgery
- Socioeconomic deprivation linked to lower fitness before surgery, UK study finds
- Perioperative medication decisions need individualized risk-benefit approach
- FDA: National IV saline shortage over after years of strained supply
- FDA announces Class 1 recall for Draeger breathing filters
- Hospital CEO departures surge, boards turn to interim leadership
- Study: Attire shapes patient trust, perceptions
- ASC drill success hinges on preparation, adaptability, clear roles
- Robotic surgery shows better outcomes in select emergency colorectal cases, poised for wider use
- 5 costly mistakes to avoid when building an ASC