Telemedicine Gaining Momentum in US as Large Employers Look for Ways to Decrease Costs; Trend Has Implications for Pathology Groups and Medical Laboratories

Nov 8, 2017 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Management & Operations

Increased use of telemedicine may create opportunities for clinical laboratories to deliver increased value to both physicians and nurses Recent data shows widespread employer adoption of telehealth services may soon become a reality. However, studies also show virtual provider visits and other telemedicine technologies are unlikely to diminish the role of clinical laboratories in providing the data required for diagnosis and treatment decisions. Instead, laboratories and anatomic pathology...

Higher Annual Deductibles and Co-Payments Cause Hospitals to Intensify Efforts to Collect Directly from Patients; Medical Laboratories Now Feel Similar Financial Squeeze

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...

Hospitals Report Growing Levels of Bad Debt as Many Patients with High-Deductible Plans Are Unable to Pay Their Medical Bills

Sep 27, 2013 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology

Pathology groups and clinical laboratories should be taking steps to collect from patients at the point of care, as a key strategy to minimize patient bad debt Here’s some bad news for hospital Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and an early warning for clinical laboratory administrators. A rising number of patients with high deductible health plans (HDHPs) are unable to pay their medical bills. Enrollment in HDHPs has soared in recent years because more employers and health insurers have adopted...

More Transparency for Provider Prices and Quality Is Goal of Employers and Private Payers During 2013

Sep 24, 2012 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology

Clinical laboratories and pathology groups will soon find it important to make it easier for patients to price for medical laboratory tests Value-based reimbursement is the new frontier for the American healthcare system. Surveys show that employers and insurers are actively pushing the healthcare marketplace to a value-based, competitive paradigm. This means providers—including pathology groups and clinical laboratories—will be asked to deliver greater transparency in both the price and...