As major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act take effect and the pressure to contain healthcare spending while improving quality of care continues to increase, 2014 promises to be an eventful year in the world of hospital finance.
In January, value-based purchasing, the release of data outlining hospital charges and costs and the question of how to pay for population health management efforts, among other issues, were top-of-mind for hospital and health system leaders. These 10 Becker's Hospital Review articles were the most popular last month.
1. 25 Hospitals With the Highest Value-Based Purchasing Scores
Penalties are often a focus of CMS' Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program, but which hospitals have fared the best in the program?
2. 100 Most Expensive Hospitals: National Nurses United Unveils Data
National Nurses United, the largest nurses union in the country, released new data outlining the 100 most expensive U.S. hospitals based on charges and costs.
3. 10 Hospitals That Filed for Bankruptcy in 2013
Hospitals and health systems have been under varying degrees of financial pressure over the past few years, and in 2013, it forced 10 hospitals to file for bankruptcy.
4. 9 Drivers of High Healthcare Costs in the U.S.
In 2012, healthcare costs per person averaged almost $9,000, a monumental increase from 2007, when healthcare per capita hovered around $7,600.
5. President Obama Signs 2014 Budget Bill: What It Means for Hospitals
President Barack Obama signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which will have several effects on the country's hospitals and health systems.
6. 10 Things to Know About the Two-Midnight Rule
In the 2014 Medicare inpatient prospective payment system final rule, CMS included a new regulation for hospitals and health systems: the two-midnight rule.
7. 38 Hospitals the OIG Tagged for Medicare Overpayments in 2013
Here are 38 hospitals that have undergone compliance reviews from the HHS Office of Inspector General in 2013.
8. 20 Statistics on Academic Medical Center Finances
Strong commercial payer reimbursement, high case mix acuity and prestigious reputations coupled with university partnerships give academic medical centers a financial edge in the nonprofit healthcare sector.
9. Paying for Population Health: Why Rewarding Value is Key
As healthcare providers zero in on population health management, industry experts say the payment systems that support them will need to transform.
10. 3 Hospitals Receive Credit Downgrades in Past Month
Only three acute-care hospitals and health systems received a credit downgrade between Dec. 15 and Jan. 14, according to a report by HFA Partners.
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