More Big Companies Engage Health Networks Directly to Cover Their Employees’ Healthcare: Should Medical Laboratories Be Talking to Self-Insuring Employers?

Dec 12, 2018 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations

By negotiating directly with healthcare systems employers garner cost savings, while creating opportunities for clinical laboratories willing to be flexible about claims and reimbursement It’s a healthcare trend called “direct contracting” and it is the latest method that self-insuring employers are using to better manage the cost of their health benefits plan, while maintaining access and quality for their employees. The interesting thing about direct contracting is that it might be a...

Excessive $48,329 Charge for California Patient’s Outpatient Clinical Laboratory Testing Calls Attention to Chargemaster Rates and New CMS Price Transparency Rule

Nov 30, 2018 | Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, News From Dark Daily

Studies show medical laboratories may be particularly hit by adjustments to hospital chargemasters as hospitals prepare to comply with Medicare’s New Transparency Rule Recently, Kaiser Health News (KHN) published a story about a $48,329 bill for allergy testing that cast a spotlight on hospital chargemaster rates just as healthcare providers are preparing to publish their prices online to comply with a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule aimed at increasing pricing...

Some Hospitals Launch Concierge Care Clinics to Raise Revenue, Generating both Controversy and Opportunity for Medical Laboratories

Apr 23, 2018 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations

Critics are quick to note that this creates a disparity in how patients access healthcare services Independent concierge care (AKA concierge medicine) is available to anyone willing to pay the additional costs, which are over and above any health insurance. In a concierge care medical practice, patients pay an annual retainer fee to gain increased access to doctors, specialists, and services, such as faster TATs on clinical laboratory testing. Depending on the program, concierge care also can...
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