News

As economic pressures continue to increase and the ability to efficiently manage costs is emphasized, organizations are looking wherever they can for financial relief. That's why it's no surprise many are turning to group purchasing organizations for smaller administrative fees, more transparent transactions and a general partner in healthcare reform.

In an effort to lower the number of out-of-network referrals for outpatient surgical procedures, Aetna has launched a program that will actively alert both members and their doctors if they are leaving the insurer's network for care and work to shift the referral to an in-network provider.

A new national program from Aetna that seeks to lower the number of out-of-network referrals for outpatient surgical procedures will actively alert both members and their doctors if they are leaving the insurer's network for care and work to shift the referral to an in-network provider.

With incidents of data breaches on the rise in recent years, cyber insurance is growing in popularity as a way of mitigating risk.

According to a recent report done by the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., California could save $3.6 million a year by reducing the prevalence of chronic conditions, like diabetes and heart conditions, by just 1 percent.

As lawmakers debate what to do to avoid the sequestration of the Budget Control Act, those getting hit with the mandated cuts, such as defense and healthcare, are making sure Congress understands what the cuts will mean for their industries.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking new steps towards reducing unnecessary and obsolete regulations on U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebellius announced on Thursday the steps will save nearly $1.1 billion across the healthcare system in the first year and more than $5 billion over five years.

As it looks to maintain Medicaid member access to primary care doctors, HHS announced last week  a two-year, $11 billion program that will help states bring Medicaid payments for primary care services in line with those paid by Medicare.

In a move that anticipates the increase in the number of people insured through state Medicaid programs as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced yesterday a two-year, $11 billion program that will help states bring Medicaid payments for primary care services in line with those paid by Medicare.

While some $560 million in federal health information exchange funding may soon run dry, changing reimbursement models mean market-driven growth will continue, says a new report on HIEs from Chilmark Research.