Regulatory Compliance

In ACA and QRS – Shoot for the Stars Part 1, I laid out the overall domains that are going to be used to score QHP plans offered through the Marketplace. In this blog, we will take a closer look at the data derived measures and what factors a QHP issuer should consider to achieve […]

Last month I posted “ACA’s Quality Rating System – An opportunity to gain market share”, which explained how QHP issuers can gain market share in the individual space. In that blog I mentioned that, as part of the Quality Rating System, plans offered on the Marketplace will receive a “Star” rating based on a 5 […]

The key drivers of global finance and new technology forces have converged on the financial services industry forcing firms to adapt and transform their business in order to win market share and operate more efficiently. Our financial services team is excited to head to New York next week to participate in the discussions at SIFMA Tech around how technology […]

Well, folks, here’s another acronym for you to add to your healthcare dictionary…DSRIP. DSRIP, or more formally known as the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program, is a demonstration program through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that is designed to result in achieving the triple aim: better care for individuals, better health for […]

Healthcare is an ever-changing industry, and healthcare organizations continue to face the challenge of improving the quality of care while remaining compliant with industry standards. Depending on the diagnosis, the patient journey can include transfers between acute, post-acute, ambulatory care and home-health care organizations. As a result of these often-frequent transitions in care settings, the […]

Direct secure messaging (DSM) is a transmission standard promoted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology that meets the Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements of electronic health records (EHRs). It works much the same way as regular email, but the message is encrypted, which prevents unintended use of the protected health […]

A former boss of mine, who happened to be the CFO of a large academic medical center, used to say the phrase “no margin, no mission” all the time. I’m not sure I really took the time to understand it at that point in time, but I have since then, “grown up”. My understanding of […]

Healthcare systems must be able to provide timely and accurate financial information for decision making and planning. Many hospitals and health systems are targeting hefty reductions in their operating budgets to maintain financially viable without interrupting investments in facility, information technology and other areas needed to remain competitive. This cost management culture requires organizations to […]

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare environment, provider organizations must be able to identify financial performance gaps continuously and quickly change course when needed. As we discussed in my blog: Elevating the Role of Finance within the Hospital, this requires a partnership with operations to ensure that the correct metrics are correlated within the budget process, […]

Performance monitoring within the hospital can be accomplished through strategic partnerships between finance and operations. These partnerships serve the organization well and lead to financial steadiness. Let’s examine how this might work. A recent case study within the November issue of HFMA Magazine explores how Mary Lanning Healthcare in Nebraska showcased how data-driven decision making […]

What’s transforming the ways in which healthcare is provided? legislation new competition innovative incentives a call to refocus on priorities a more empowered and digitally engaged consumer, who has more and greater expectations for quality of care and convenience of care. a renewed attention on healthcare by the consumer market thanks to ongoing press about […]

While most of the mass media news about Target’s card data breach has focused on the direct effects on consumers, the forensics of the breach are starting to trickle out through specialists like Brian Krebs, and they’re really fascinating. At the highest level, it appears the attackers seem to have been able to enter the […]