Reimbursement

Medicare patients' chances of being admitted to the hospital or kept for observation depend on what hospital they go to -- even when their symptoms are the same, says a new report by the HHS Inspector General.

Medicare patients' chances of being admitted to the hospital or kept for observation depend on what hospital they go to -- even when their symptoms are the same, says a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General.

The market for provider reinsurance could see premiums increase 15 to 30 percent this year, according to a survey by the reinsurance brokerage firm ReSource Intermediaries.

Health insurance premiums for individual plans offered through the Maryland Health Connection will be among the lowest of 12 states that have proposed or approved rates.

The Department of Health and Human Services' budget neutrality practices for state Medicaid waivers have occasionally been inconsistent and opaque, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Healthcare industry executives around the world understand the need to collaborate but lack of trust among the sectors and unaligned incentives for stakeholders create hurdles.

Doctors may be cost-conscious, but price never trumps patients' best interests.

UPMC has invested more than $1.6 billion in its IT infrastructure over the past five years, according to Pamela Peele, chief analytics officer of UPMC Health Plan. That's more money, she points out, than its home city has spent on three pro sports stadiums combined – "and we take sports seriously in Pittsburgh."

Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield is in the midst of reorganizing into a "policyholder-owned, not-for-profit mutual insurance holding company."

As healthcare delivery and reimbursement models transition to ensuring quality care versus quantity of care, some sectors of the healthcare industry will benefit more than others.