Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

Class action lawsuit filed against Anthem for deceptive marketing

Anthem, the second largest health insurer in the nation, is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly misleading thousands of Georgia consumers during the 2018 open enrollment period.

February 8, 2019

Fake pharmacist handled 700,000 prescriptions at Walgreens

An individual who signed off on or dispensed more than 745,000 prescriptions over roughly a decade at three Walgreens stores in the Bay Area was not a licensed pharmacist, The LA Times reported.

February 5, 2019

Johns Hopkins All Children’s on brink of losing Medicare funding

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, could lose its Medicare funding if it doesn’t shape up after a recent inspection found serious problems at the institution, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

February 4, 2019

VA proposes changes to standards of care

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a proposal to change access standards for community care and urgent care by allowing veterans to seek care with the VA or other community providers.

January 31, 2019

Drop in hospital-acquired conditions saved $7.7B

Hospitals are becoming safer places for patients, after a decline in hospital-acquired conditions saved approximately 20,000 lives and $7.7 billion in costs, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

January 31, 2019
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Study finds e-cigarettes can help smokers quit

E-cigarettes may actually help smokers quit, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

January 31, 2019

UnitedHealthcare to pay $91M after denying coverage to some patients

UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, will have to shell out $91 million to patients who were wrongfully denied coverage for some healthcare services.

January 30, 2019

Hip and knee replacements, costs on the rise in the US

Planned hip and knee replacements are on the rise in the U.S., including among younger Americans, according to an analysis from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).

January 29, 2019

Around the web

In addition, cardiologists average an additional $75,000 per year in incentive-based bonuses. That number is only higher for two other specialties. 

CMS has issued its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system, suggesting a payment increase of 2.6%. According to the American Hospital Association, this update would not be enough at a time when hospitals are already struggling to stay open. 

The rumors, it seems, were true. Once the deal is finalized, Shockwave Medical will operate as a business unit within Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

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