Action For Better Healthcare

We still have several hurdles to jump before healthcare reform becomes a reality but despite the work ahead of Congress, hospitals and their leaders need to prepare for changes coming down the pipeline.

Payment reform is almost certain to be a part of any final healthcare legislation and hospitals need to get ready for this change.

A recent article in Healthcare Finance News discusses the issue. It is a good read and gives a high-level overview of the topic.

Here are some of the changes hospitals can expect:

·         Hospital payments tied to performance by 2013

·         Hospital payments potentially reduced by 20 percent if patients are readmitted within seven days of leaving a hospital

·         Hospitals penalized for hospital-acquired infection rates in the top 25^th percentile

Healthcare providers need to prepare for these sweeping changes and for a move toward accountable care organizations. It is not a question of if change will happen. It is simply a matter of time.

Frankly, our healthcare system can no longer operate the way it does today.   

Let us know what you are doing to get ready. We all need to learn from each other as these changes begin.   

Act4Healthcare | Government, Not For Profit, Not For Profit hospitals, Quality, accountable care organizations, best practices, evidence based medicine, healthcare costs, healthcare reform, hospitals, integrated healthcare, pay for performance, reimbursement | 11 10th, 2009 |

2 Responses

1. kester freeman Says:
   November 10th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
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   It is essential to tie M.D.s into this trend. I don't know how you get physicians truley commited to a hospitals quality goals if ... ...

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   It is essential to tie M.D.s into this trend. I don’t know how you get physicians truley commited to a hospitals quality goals if they financially motivated.

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2. john chamberlain Says:
   November 11th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
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   i have worked for a medicare hmo that used a variation of the accountable care organization model with the hospital as a sometimes... ...

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   i have worked for a medicare hmo that used a variation of the accountable care organization model with the hospital as a sometimes unwilling partner. this particular model was PCP-driven and used the PCP as the “hammer” to get the specialists and hospital to capitulate…very successful model with a high quality focus and PCP gainsharing involved. Results? documentable enhanced quality and a medical loss ratio of <79%

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