Healthcare Headlines Blog

US On Track For One Of The Worst Flu Seasons In Decades

This flu season is on track to be as severe as the deadliest flu season in the United States in more than 40 years. Check out the latest hospitalization rates, year-over-year comparisons and a nationwide map of influenza activity. Read more

5 Trends For Hospitals To Watch In 2020

Stay on top of the legislative news cycle in 2020 by knowing these anticipated trends from key healthcare leaders. Their predictions include surprise billing, consolidations and more. Read more

In 2020, our nation’s healthcare delivery and payment environment will continue its multi-year evolution. While some key trends will continue and expand, 2020 also brings new trends that will have a significant impact on healthcare providers across the continuum. 

Check out this quick guide on the top five trends to watch in 2020 and why they matter.

CMS Is Changing How It Pays Doctors To Coordinate Care

CMS has finalized rules that modify how physicians get paid to encourage primary care physicians and other clinicians to spend more time coordinating care for their patients. The intention is to help address the social determinants of health, increase patient adherence to treatment, and improve the continuity of care. Check out this article for all payment updates, including the physician fee schedule. Read more

CDC Updates Core Elements Of Antibiotic Stewardship Of Hospitals

With the March 30, 2020, deadline requiring all acute care and critical access hospitals participating in Medicare to have antibiotic stewardship programs, CMS has updated its Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. The updates provide examples of leadership commitment to antibiotic stewardship programs, highlight priority interventions and process measures, and emphasize the key role that pharmacists and nurses play in improving antibiotic use in hospitals. Read to see if your antibiotic stewardship program follows these best practices. Read more

Medicare Shared Savings ACOs Generated $1.7b In Savings In 2018

CMS announced that the 2018 Medicare Shared Savings Program generated $1.7 billion in total savings. It also reported that ACOs in the shared savings and risk-based models saw reductions in per-enrollee spending. ACOs that took on downside risk generated more savings than ACOs that did not. See the full report for more on how ACOs are trending. Read more

Number Of Certified Physician Assistants Surging

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 31% growth in the PA profession from 2018 to 2028, which the federal agency characterizes as "much faster than average" compared to other occupations. With the anticipated physician shortage, many think that physician assistant participation in clinical care teams is the solution. Check out the full analysis for more on the shifting role of PAs. Read more

A recent study indicates that the incidence of sepsis among hospitalized patients is increasing by 8.7% per year.¹ Due to the severity of the condition, these patients are at a high risk of returning to an acute care setting to receive the appropriate clinical treatment.