Apr 4, 2016 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
The National Health Service of England (NHS) ended 2014 with a budget overrun of £800 million, placing financial stress on the entire UK health system
According to a recently released report, nearly all hospitals in the United Kingdom are currently in financial stress. The report indicates that only seven of the 138 hospital trusts are profitable, with the remaining ones operating in a deficit situation.
Here in the United States, the UK’s National Health Service is often touted as an example of a successful single-payer health system. Thus, the extraordinary financial problems within the NHS offer pathologists and clinical laboratory managers in this country some insight into the serious challenges confronting the NHS, including increased demand for services, which puts additional stress on existing hospital budgets. (more…)
Aug 20, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
One reason is that the healthcare price websites operated by most states are inadequate, ‘poorly designed or poorly functioning’
Efforts to encourage price transparency at hospitals and other providers are making little progress. That’s one conclusion to be made from the second annual Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws, that gave a failing grade to 45 states.
This information is relevant because more consumers are now enrolled in high-deductible health plans. As a consequence, clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups must now handle requests from patients who want to know the cost of their medical laboratory testing in advance of service. As well, many of these consumers want to negotiate prices with their laboratory provider. (more…)
Apr 11, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Uncategorized
Although most clinical laboratories and pathology groups do not use EHR systems, the OIG’s finding should alert them to possible problems with audit integrity of their clients’ EHRs
Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems were supposed to prevent fraud, but a recent report from one federal agency states that the fraud safeguards built into EHR systems are not in engaged by a majority of users.
Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers with the responsibility to maintain security of software systems used in their medical laboratories may be interested to read “Not All Recommended Fraud Safeguards Have Been Implemented in Hospital EHR Technology,” a report issued by the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). (more…)
Apr 4, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Medical laboratory test data is one cornerstone of this data mining activity and pathologists are well-positioned to take a more prominent role in helping clinicians use lab tests more effectively
Data mining has arrived at many hospitals and health systems. The goal is to mine large quantities of clinical data to identify useful patterns that can guide clinicians to intervene with specific patients. This trend creates a big opportunity for pathology informaticians to step forward and contribute to improved patient care in significant ways.
Progressive healthcare networks, such as the Carolinas HealthCare System, are creating a lot of buzz for their aggressive and smart use of technology and data. The idea is to ultimately reinvent care—in response to new payment schemes—by preventing acute and critical episodes that may require inappropriate readmissions. (more…)
Apr 2, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Hospitals and physicians are acting quickly to improve their ability to collect directly from patients as vendors enter market with new collection tools; clinical labs are slower to respond to this fast-moving trend
Collecting deductibles from patients and tackling growing bad debt is quickly becoming a priority at hospitals and health systems around the nation. Clinical laboratories and pathology groups face the same need to become better at collecting money directly from patients at time of service.
By now, it has become clear to most providers that most health insurance plans include requirements that consumers meet a substantial annual deductible—anywhere from $1,500 to as much as $10,000 for a family. Co-payment amounts also have increased significantly, particularly for ancillary services such as medical laboratory tests and imaging studies.
Higher annual deductibles and co-pays are a feature of the new Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum health plans offered through the health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But this is equally true of many private health insurance plans. (more…)
