Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL Why hospitals’ future will involve keeping people from showing up GAO: Advantages of Voluntary and Mandatory Bundled Payments Study: Hospitals dramatically increase ad spend following data breaches Study finds freestanding EDs charge more than urgent care centers Stephen Klasko: Hospitals of the future won’t look the same Why some nonprofit hospitals are turning to…Read More

Once again, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) is demonstrating its strong stance against harassment in the workplace. The EEOC recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, allowing for quicker action against state and local government employers in harassment allegations – keep in mind that county hospitals typically fit the definition of…Read More

Welcome to Practical Matters! This series aims to provide an overview of trending topics in a variety of service areas. Our goal is to present current topics to spark discussion within your organization that could lead to a new approach and result in a positive impact. As we begin 2019, many health care organizations strive…Read More

The Oregon State Legislature is considering a bill that bases the determination of tax-exemption for hospital property on the relationship between hospital executives’ compensation and the amount of charity care provided by the hospital. While a number of other states have passed legislation that threatens a hospital’s property tax-exempt status where a hospital fails to…Read More

Under Ohio’s spousal necessaries law, an individual has a duty to support his or her spouse, which includes the obligation to pay for medical care received by the spouse. A recent Ohio Supreme Court case determined that a creditor must present its claim for unpaid necessaries to the decedent’s estate before the creditor can pursue…Read More

Short-Term Funding Deal Reached to End Government Shutdown This afternoon, President Trump announced a deal to temporarily reopen the federal government and end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The deal funds the remaining federal agencies until February 15, giving lawmakers more time to try to work out a compromise on the immigration and border…Read More

NATIONAL GAO’s latest report on patient matching: It’s still not easy Fostering a culture of innovation: 5 CIOs share insights Research: Physician Burnout is a Public Health Crisis; Improving EHR Usability is Critical New drug shortages rose 27% in 2018 Telehealth and the law: What hospital executives should know about kickback and false claims rules…Read More

Cybersecurity continues to rank amongst the major concerns for health care providers. Long-term care facilities in particular are increasingly attractive “low-hanging fruit” for digital bad actors because of the misperception that smaller entities are not big enough to warrant the resources and risk associated with a cyberattack. With a new year, the Department of Health…Read More

Government Shutdown Continues With the partial government shutdown now on its 28th day, there is no doubt it will enter its second month. Lawmakers are headed home for the long holiday weekend, and no shutdown negotiations are currently scheduled for party leaders. House Democrats spent the week passing numerous continuing resolutions that would reopen the government….Read More

January 1, 2019 marked the start of a new data collection period for laboratories pursuant to the Medicare Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests Payment System Final Rule (“CLFS Rule”).¹ The CLFS Rule establishes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (“CMS’s”) new private payor-based rate-setting system for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests (“CDLTs”) paid under the Medicare…Read More