Patients hate surprise bills and soon, they’ll be much less common, thanks to the “No Surprises Act” [1]. But while the bill protects patients it adds new complexities for physicians. In many ways, it shifts the balance of power to commercial health plans, something that could work out negatively for physicians.
Cost containment has been a central topic in the healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) conversations for years now, and the pressures of a pandemic have made it even more important.
Hospitals are under more pressure than ever to reduce costs.
A Kaufman Hall analysis of about 800 hospitals found a 21.3% decline in operating margins, and a 14.5% decrease in EBITDA operating margins between November 2018 and the same month in 2019 [1].While the results varied regionally, the message was clear — many hospital decision-makers across the country face increased pressure to bend the cost curve and do more with less.
