A Perfect Storm: Agencies Collaborate on Medical Debt, Price Transparency, Charity Care
Kathryn Beard, JDAugust 17, 2023
Almost 40% of Americans recently reported they were deferring medical care due to the cost of treatment.1 This is particularly true for Americans with low incomes, who have reported cancelling treatment for even the most serious conditions due to an inability to pay for necessary services.
Financial ...
The Future of Good Faith Estimates Under the No Surprises Act
R1 Regulatory TeamJanuary 18, 2023
The No Surprises Act of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (“NSA”) established requirements for healthcare providers to deliver Good Faith Estimates (“GFEs”) for scheduled services or upon patient request.
Key Takeaways:
- Indefinite extension of co-provider and co-facility enforcement ...
Hospital Price Transparency: Lessons Learned, Best Practices
R1 Regulatory TeamDecember 19, 2022
Federal price transparency requirements for hospitals from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provide patients with an unprecedented amount of insight into the costs for medical services.1
In theory, more pricing information should ...
Early Insights on Independent Dispute Resolution Under No Surprises Act
R1 Regulatory Affairs & Regulatory Compliance TeamSeptember 23, 2022
On August 19, 2022, the Departments of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Labor, and the Treasury (“the Departments”) issued a Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Process Status Update.1 In the statement, the Departments reported that between April 15th and August 11th, 2022, providers initiated ...
Action Needed: Why Medical Debt Should Concern Health Organizations
R1 Regulatory TeamJune 22, 2022
In the United States, an estimated 43 million Americans hold a total of $88 billion in medical debt on their credit reports. Patients often incur these expenses unexpectedly, leading to high rates of bankruptcy. Healthcare organizations are now facing increased scrutiny over patient billing and collection practices.
Read MoreOutrageous Hospital Charges – Don’t Blame the Hospital
Dr. Ronald HirschFebruary 3, 2022
There has been a lot of media attention to hospital charges recently. With the COVID-19 pandemic, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) worked miracles to allow health systems to be paid a facility fee for many remote visits to cover the overhead costs of such visits. The price transparency regulations require more ...
Chief Healthcare Executive: Why More Price Transparency Is Needed
Joe PolarisNovember 3, 2021
Joe Polaris, senior vice president of product and technology at R1 RCM, recently recorded an episode of the Healthy Bottom Line podcast with Chief Healthcare Executive where he discusses how price transparency can increase hospital revenue and address patient concerns regarding exorbitant healthcare costs. He also covers the recent ...
HIT Consultant: Improving Patient Experience Amid The No Surprises Act
Ogi KwonSeptember 10, 2021
With the No Surprises Act taking effect in less than four months, it is critical that hospitals and providers leverage technology to ensure patients are informed about their expected care costs prior to receiving services. Despite industry improvements in the last several years, there remains a pressing need for more meaningful price ...
HealthLeaders: Ascension's Seamless Consumer Financial Journey
Alexandra Wilson PecciAugust 24, 2021
"Wow! A lot easier than I thought, because I thought I was going to need someone to help me. But I didn't."
How Emergency Physician Groups Can Endure Balance Billing Restrictions
Kathryn Beard, JDMay 11, 2021
While the price transparency law is helping patients better anticipate and manage healthcare costs, there are still situations where they can receive unexpected bills – especially when making a trip to the emergency department ...
