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Scrutinizing the Community Benefit (and Harm) of Non-Profit Hospital Billing Practices
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In a recent article, we raised the question of whether nonprofit hospitals are effectively “earning” their privileged tax status by returning a community benefit greater than, or at least equal to, the cost of their deferred taxes. We also discussed how the Affordable Care Act provided essential tools, the Community Health Needs Assessment and the […]
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Today’s Revolutionary Idea: Communities Should Benefit From Community Benefit (And How The Community Health Needs Assessment Can Point Hospitals In The Right Direction)
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The community hospital – frequently a nonprofit organization organized around community service, charity care, and serving the poor in multiple capacities – has been a cornerstone of our health system. Today, the majority of the 6,219 hospitals across the United States (2,978 or 57%) are nonprofit. As a nonprofit, this means that they do not pay certain local, state, and federal taxes, such as property and income taxes. This exemption is not insignificant: in 2020 alone, it amounted to $28 billion.
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Disparities in Healthcare: A Prevalent Challenge in the U.S.
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Challenges with healthcare disparities are not new to the American healthcare delivery system. It has become a hot topic in the healthcare arena. Guest Author Lavondia Alexander comes this week with the challenges of healthcare disparities and potential solutions.
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Don’t Speak: The Consequences of Silencing Healthcare
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When legislation is in pursuit of controlling the narrative in one space, we automatically reduce the number of areas in which someone can explore who they are, find their support system, and begin to integrate that part of their identity into their overall self.
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No Surprises (?) in the No Surprises Act
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Earlier this January, I had my yearly physical. After my visit, I paid my copay and went about my day, assuming that was the end. Then in May, I received a mystery bill of $200 for services rendered “by my provider.” What a surprise! Let’s talk about the absurdity of the No Surprise Act, shall we?
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The Big Question: Is there Harm Reduction in Healthcare?
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There’s no denying it: healthcare is full of bureaucracy (even spelling “bureaucracy” feels bureaucratic). We’re told that red tape is about quality and cost containment. But is it really?
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Understanding Stability, Agility, and Distribution of Our Healthcare
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Healthcare is more than the prevention, treatment, or maintenance of clinical conditions. It also plays a role in how governments establish legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens. Peter Freeman asks the question: how is the current health infrastructure of the United States impacting the perception of our government?
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National Patient Recognition Week: Building Trust and Improving the Doctor-Patient Relationship
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In health care, we are all seeking to make some big, positive changes. This week, as we celebrate National Patient Recognition week, Atrómitos’ Vice President of Operations, Sarah Jagger reminds us why that doesn’t happen without recognizing patients and the role they play in transformation – and how we can tie it all back to the lessons of Groundhog Day.
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NC Medicaid Tailored Plans: We Gotta Get this Right
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North Carolina is poised to implement Tailored Plans, a new managed care program, that will serve as an integrated health plan for individuals with significant behavioral health needs and intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DDs) next July. Reflecting on lessons learned from other states, DHHS has the opportunity to take action NOW to ensure provider, plan, and system readiness.
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#NHCW2021: Homage to Community Health Centers
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This week, we celebrated National Health Center Week and helping to get the message out about the extraordinary work community health centers accomplish within the communities they serve. Here’s what you need to know.
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The “Hospital-at-Home” Model: A Care Delivery Innovation with Traditional Roots
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It’s National Hospital Week, so we’re taking a closer look at the “Hospital-at-Home” Model — a care delivery innovation with traditional roots. Here’s what you need to know.
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Public Health is the Future
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It’s National Public Health Week, so it’s time that we recognize public health for what it is (our future) and invest in it as such.
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The American Rescue Plan and Public Health Infrastructure
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Last week Congress passed the much-anticipated American Rescue Plan of 2021 (the ARP). Here’s what you need to know.
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The Cost of Consolidation
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Publicly owned hospitals are becoming an “increasingly endangered species,” and the recent consolidation in North Carolina has garnered both national attention as well as local controversy. Here’s what you need to know.
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The Transition to Coordinated Care: A Marathon, Not a Sprint
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In June 2018, the U.S. DHHS announced its “Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care,” with the objective of “promoting” the transition to value-based care by removing “unnecessary obstacles.” But we insist that this one is a marathon, not a sprint.
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Examining Patient Right of Access Under HIPAA
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In our last Compliance Article, we supplied you with yet another cliff hanger, promising to return to discuss the Office of Civil Rights’ (OCR) continued focus on enforcement of Patient’s Right of Access under HIPAA. We know you have all been on the edges of your seats and we are back in this segment to make good on that promise.
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New Rules for Hospital Pricing Transparency: What They Mean for Healthcare Systems and Consumers
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When insurers don’t cover the cost of out-of-network care, the patient is “balance billed” the difference between the total cost of services being charged and the amount the insurer pays.
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COVID-19: Section 1135 Waiver Flexibilities to Support State and Provider Needs
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Shortly after the presidential declaration on March 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a set of blanket waivers specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19 waivers). Here’s what you need to know.
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Stakeholders Provide Feedback to Changes in CMS Hospital Star Ratings
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On August 19, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its plans to change the controversial methodology used for its hospital star ratings on Hospital Compare. However, changes won’t occur until 2021.
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Opportunities for Behavioral Health Transformation: Making Change
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Over the past decade, public behavioral health systems across the country have undergone one transformation after another. As a result, providers and system stakeholders are often left feeling like just when one transformation finishes, it’s time to start over again.