Healthcare is ever-changing, so it’s important to stay up to date on advancements and issues that may impact the development, operation, maintenance, and growth of your services. Here are some important developments:
Warning signs to look for to avoid practice embezzlement
Theft and embezzlement is widespread, and it occurs more often in healthcare than in most other industries, amounting to $25 billion in annual losses for medical practices, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. A 2009 survey by the Medical Group Management Association found that an astounding 83% of practice administrators have been associated with a practice where there was employee theft or embezzlement. “It’s happening every single day. People just aren’t catching it and aren’t taking the time to look for it,” says Reed Tinsley, CPA, a Houston-based accountant who specializes in working with physicians and medical practices. Continue reading…
Missed ASNC 2017? We’ve got it for you!
The ASNC 2017 Scientific Session On Demand includes over 53 hours of sessions and presentations from the 22nd Annual Scientific Session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. The focus of the 2017 meeting was to showcase current best practices, new ideas and emerging technology, radiation safety and appropriate use criteria in the nuclear cardiology clinical practice. This year we’ve added video recordings of 10 select sessions and, don’t forget, the session also fulfills 52.25 CME credits. Order now!
New research shows where in the brain the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s occur
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have for the first time convincingly shown where in the brain the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s occur. The discovery could potentially become significant to future Alzheimer’s research while contributing to improved diagnostics. “A big piece of the puzzle in Alzheimer’s research is now falling into place. We previously did not know where in the brain the earliest stages of the disease could be detected. We now know which parts of the brain are to be studied to eventually explain why the disease occurs”, says Sebastian Palmqvist, associate professor at Lund University and physician at Skåne University Hospital. Continue reading…
CMS releases final OPPS rule for 2018: 8 things to know
CMS has released its final 2018 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule, which cuts payments to hospitals under the 340B Drug Pricing Program and authorizes Medicare to reimburse for knee replacement surgeries performed in outpatient facilities. Here are eight things to know about the 1,133-page final rule. Continue reading…
CMS dials back plan to slash payment for off-campus services by half
The CMS finalized its proposal to slash what Medicare pays for healthcare obtained at medical facilities that are owned by hospitals but located off their campuses. The agency released its finalized 2018 physician fee pay rule Thursday, dropping off-campus facilities’ rates from 50% to 40% of what they would have been paid under outpatient rates. Originally, the CMS had proposed to drop the rate to 25%. The smaller reimbursement cut did little to assuage hospitals’ concerns. Continue reading…
New system for treating colorectal cancer can lead to complete cure
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston have developed a new, three-step system that uses nuclear medicine to target and eliminate colorectal cancer. In this study with a mouse model, researchers achieved a 100-percent cure rate—without any treatment-related toxic effects. The study is reported in the November featured article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Continue reading…