Practice Management
Health system administrators and fans of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) have been lauding the fact that employment in the healthcare industry has been climbing since the ACA was implemented. While that may be factually correct in terms of overall numbers, it is also true that health systems have been cutting jobs strategically in order to cut payroll expenses. Not too long ago, Becker’s Hospital Review identified 48 layoffs that have taken place …
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Rancor over how—or even whether—to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) doesn’t stop everyday people from needing good, immediate care they can afford. Urgent care often fits the bill, but even that may not be convenient enough for some patients; a new study from the Health Resources and Services Association (HRSA) shows that 20% of Americans live in rural areas—where only 11% of physicians practice. In such situations, telemedicine could be the best …
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UnitedHealth Group Inc. was very open in its claims that it was impossible to sustain the economics of participating in healthcare exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”)—and thus the company would stop participating. It made good on that vow, and has now reported profit growth in the second quarter and raised its projections for the year, fueled by its Optum health-services arm. The largest insurer in the U.S. UnitedHealth has almost completely …
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Trustees for the actual Medicare trust fund say it will be insolvent by 2029, a year later than predicted by the Obama administration last year. The year before that, the Congressional Budget Office foresaw the program running dry in 2026. This means the infamous Independent Payment Advisory Board—devised by the designers of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) to put the brakes on Medicare spending if costs grew faster than a predetermined rate—will not …
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The Affordable Care Act—also known as the ACA, or “Obamacare”—famously drove many insurers out of state exchanges due to the difficulty they had in turning a profit through their participation. President Trump says the plan he’d like to see in place would be both superior and less expensive than his predecessor’s. Humana isn’t planning on sticking around to find out, however, and has announced it will not be participating in any individual insurance market after …
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UnitedHealth Group thought it was a great idea at the time: offer no-cost primary and behavioral care, in the hope that the company would bring in enough money through claims, while also building a loyal customer base. Detractors may say it was a nonstarter, or that the notion had merit but was poorly designed; some may even point the finger at the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare). Either way, the company is shutting down …
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Aetna has apparently had enough of trying in vain to make participation in Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare) exchanges profitable, and will exit all ACA exchanges for the 2018 coverage year. They follow a long line of insurers who already checked out, complaining that the ACA program simply made it impossible to conduct business, economically. Aetna announced their plans right after revealing that they’d drastically reduce their exchange business for the 2017 coverage year, …
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A lot of Republicans are angry that their elected officials have failed, thus far, to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) with something more to their liking. There may be an equal number of Democrats railing about the prospect of Congress doing exactly that. Senators and Congresspersons can expect to get an earful from both over the 2-week spring recess. Healthcare providers are likely to make their wishes known, too. Some legislators have …
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Geisinger Health System is turning away from industry trends that see physicians being paid bonuses tied to quality and patient satisfaction, instead vowing to pay them straight salaries that are at or above national averages for compensation. Previously, Geisinger has paid their 1,600 physicians—including those staffing their urgent care centers—based on a formula of 80% salary and 20% performance bonus, as is common these days (though the percentages may vary somewhat from system to system). …
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As you’ve read here, the spectrum of business models accessible to urgent care operators is constantly expanding. “Direct care,” in which patients pay a monthly fee for a range of basic services, is one that may appeal to operators and clinicians desiring a less-structured approach to running their business—such as getting insurance companies “out of the room,” as explained by Linnea Meyer, MD in an article published in The Wall Street Journal recently. Patients pay …
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