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How Post-Hospitalists Decrease Health Care Spending

The benefits of post-hospitalists cannot be overstated. These specialized physicians have proven to enhance the quality of care, make facilities compliant with ever-changing regulations and decrease health care spending. How does one type of skilled physician decrease health care spending? Being dedicated to post-acute and long-term care facilities Many physicians divide their time between hospitals,Read the Rest…


Top Reasons for Hospital Readmissions from SNFs

When it comes to hospital readmissions, there’s a fine line between being cautious and being careless. One in five elderly persons is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of leaving, according to the federal government. Not only is this a disconcerting fact for the patients’ sake, but also financially destructive. Hospital readmissions from MedicaidRead the Rest…


The Real Cost of Hospital Readmission Rates

Starting this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fees are being strongly enforced and will affect many non-complying hospitals. The cost of hospital readmission is already extensive for health care payors and patients, and now hospitals will be financially impacted as well. CMS’s hospital penalties are expected to reach $428 million inRead the Rest…


Low-Income Patients and Medicaid Managed Care Providers

In November 2012, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ruled for a temporary increase on fee-for-service reimbursement rates. This increase in payment rates was set to encourage doctors to participate in Medicaid, which received substantially lower repayment rates compared to Medicare—about two-thirds lower. To lessen the payment gap between the two government healthRead the Rest…


Hospital Structure and Patient Care | How the Two Relate

Being in a hospital is stressful, regardless of whether you’re there due to personal health problems or those of a loved one. What’s worse, the look, feel and operations of a hospital can add to that stress and uncomfortable nature of the experience. With a new take on design and a bit of restructuring, hospitalsRead the Rest…


ACO Success Depends on Patient Engagement

If you were at the golf course, would you rather participate or sit out and watch everyone else play? You’d want to play, of course—the same is true for patients’ desires to participate in their own health care. Many patients are eager and willing to partake in managing their health, and as a result, costRead the Rest…


What is a Post-Hospitalist Program: The Newest Medical Specialty

Health care is changing rapidly, leaving some traditional facilities scrambling to find solutions that meet the new standards of care being set by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). While much of the change is seen as positive strides within geriatric health care, many facilities have settled in vastly uninterrupted, inefficient tactics for decadesRead the Rest…


Doctor Shortage Continues to Plague Nation

The doctor shortage across the nation continues to be a detriment to the health care industry, and the deficit will steadily increase over the next 10 years. By 2025, it’s expected that at best the U.S. will be 46,100 physicians short—at worst, the shortage will reach 90,000, according to the Association of American Medical CollegesRead the Rest…


What IMPACT Has Done for Nursing Home Five-Star Rating System

The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act (IMPACT) was signed into law by President Obama on October 6, 2014. The IMPACT was created to improve the quality of care for home health care, nursing home, rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospital patients. These improvements are to be made using more efficient and accurate data collectionRead the Rest…


ACO Savings For Medicare Continue Gaining Momentum

The number of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs has increased to 409 participants, with 89 officially joining as of January 1, 2015. Along with the 19 Pioneer ACOs, a combined total of 424 ACOs across the U.S. are serving more than 7.8 million Medicare recipients. While the first two years of the ACO program’sRead the Rest…