Tag:

More than half of large employers in 2016 will aim to more tightly manage employees’ use of high-priced specialty drugs, one of the fastest-growing expenses in their health plans…companies still expect the cost of specialty drugs…continue rising at a double-digit annual rate — well ahead of the pace for traditional pharmacy drugs or companies’ overall spending on health benefits…

healthcare industry is infamous for its overuse and misuse of buzzwords and acronyms…arise from the ever-changing regulatory shifts designed to improve quality care and reign in increasing costs…One …commonly misused or misunderstood buzzwords today is "population health management,"…

majority of the nation’s hospitals are being penalized by Medicare for having patients frequently return within a month of discharge — this time losing a combined $420 million, government records show…fourth year of federal readmission penalties, 2,592 hospitals will receive lower payments for every Medicare patient that stays in the hospital — readmitted or not — Since the fines began, national readmission rates have dropped,…

Policymakers in Medicaid expansion states likely will try to wring some cash from hospitals starting in 2017 when the federal government no longer pays the full tab… Higher-than-expected enrollment means expansion states will be on the hook for hundreds of millions more than…anticipated.. assessment fees already being collected by many states..