News Briefs
Hospitals Report Major Drug Shortages, Many Rationing Care
As drug shortages near record levels in the United States, a new survey shows how widespread -- and serious -- the effects are. About 99 percent of healthcare system pharmacists who were surveyed -- the vast majority of whom work in hospitals -- say that they are experiencing drug shortages. This includes nearly a third who say the current shortages are "critically impactful," leading to rationing, delaying, or canceling treatments or procedures.
(Source: CNN, 2023-08-10)
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Insurers Profiting from Doctors' E-Payments, Report Finds
Insurers now routinely require doctors to kick back as much as 5% if they want to be paid electronically. Even when physicians ask to be paid by check, doctors say, insurers often resume the electronic payments — and the fees — against their wishes.
(Source: ProPublica, 2023-08-14)
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New Proposal Aims to Boost Hospitals' Price Transparency
Although government data shows that hospitals' compliance with price transparency rules has improved, updating the requirements of that law is the focus of a new proposal by the Biden administration, which aims to further standardize the required data, increase its usefulness for consumers, and boost enforcement. Even with all that, however, the goal of exact price tags in every situation is likely to remain elusive.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2023-08-14)
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Hospitals, Clinics More Dangerous Workplaces as Violence Rises
Healthcare workers are increasingly being assaulted or shot on the job, making hospitals and clinics among the most dangerous workplaces in America. About three in four nonfatal workplace violence injuries involved workers in healthcare and social work in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
(Source: Axios, 2023-08-10)
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Senators Boost Scrutiny of Nonprofit Hospitals' Charity Care
Four U.S. senators, led by Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), have penned letters to the IRS and Treasury Department asking for more detail on nonprofit hospitals' charity care and community investments, saying they're "alarmed" by reports of facilities taking advantage of the broad definition of "community benefit." Joined by Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the senators said nonprofit hospitals may be engaging in practices that are not in the best interests of the patient.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2023-08-09)
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340B Drug Discount Program for Safety-Nets Faces More Scrutiny
A federal drug discount program for safety-net providers, which has been a perennial source of fierce disputes among healthcare industry powerhouses, is back in the spotlight, with billions of dollars at stake. Separate but coinciding issues are generating renewed focus on the decades-old 340B program, which requires that drugmakers give large discounts on outpatient drugs to healthcare providers serving low-income patients.
(Source: Axios, 2023-08-11)
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Healthcare Private Equity Deals Declined 23.7% in First Quarter
Private equity deals in healthcare services in the second quarter of this year dipped "unexpectedly" to their lowest levels since the second quarter of 2020, according to a report from market research company PitchBook. There were an estimated 164 deals recorded or announced last quarter, representing a 23.7 percent decrease compared to the first quarter this year -- and the sixth straight quarter of declines.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2023-08-14)
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CMS Plan to Expand Rural Physician Training in Place
A federal plan to expand physician training in rural areas is geared toward primary care, but that training has not yet expanded according to Medicare plans. Congress approved money and a mandate for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create 1,000 new residency slots for physician training in rural and underserved areas.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2023-08-14)
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HHS Invests $100 Million to Train Nurse Workforce Amid Shortage
The Biden-Harris Administration is funneling over $100 million into the nursing workforce to help meet the growing demand for nurses amid staffing shortages. The Health Resources and Services Administration grants will go toward programs that address nursing education, training, and practice.
(Source: RevCycle Intelligence, 2023-08-11)
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Number of Healthcare Data Breaches Up 104 Percent So Far in 2023
Since the start of the year, 327 data breaches had been reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. That figure is up more than 104 percent from 160 breaches as of mid-2022.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2023-08-09)
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For-Profit Hospitals Reported Higher-Than-Anticipated Revenues
America's largest for-profit health systems reported higher-than-anticipated revenues this quarter, driven by rebounding admissions and increased demand for elective surgeries. Hospitals said normalizing labor conditions post-pandemic and proactive cost-cutting initiatives helped keep operating margins stable, even as expenses rose year over year.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2023-08-10)
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