News
Credible Solutions For Dependable Cash Flow For Hospitals
Posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 at 4:55 am.
Medical Business Resources experienced staff of Health Capital Certified Consultants offers expertise and credentials that provide you with credible solutions through medical auditing tools, hospital medical practice valuation and more. Healthcare financial services you can rely on and trust! Call MBR for more information at 303-409-7722 and visit them online at www.mbrus.com .
Amednews: A still-sputtering economy is creating a dismal forecast for nonprofit hospital finances, as patients defer care. This is the conclusion of an annual report issued Aug. 30 by Moody’s Investors Service, which analyzed the financial statements of 401 freestanding hospitals and single-state medical systems, along with 16 multistate health care systems. About half of all hospitals are nonprofit, and, according to the report, median inpatient admissions declined 0.4% in fiscal year 2010, following no growth for fiscal year 2009. Median total operating revenues went up by 4%. This was a decrease from the approximately 6% growth in 2009 and 7% in 2008.
“These are the most challenging numbers that we can remember,” said Beth Wexler, author of the report and vice president/senior credit officer at Moody’s. “This is a precipitous decline.”
Growth in the use of emergency and outpatient services also slowed. The median number of emergency department visits increased 2.7% in 2009 but only 1.1% in 2010. Outpatient visits went up 3.7% in 2009 but only 1.5% in 2010.
Analysts said the numbers were the result of an unemployment rate that is expected to continue to be stubbornly high. Unemployment was 9.1% in August, and Moody’s predicts it will remain higher than 8% through 2012.
The way these hospital services were paid for also shifted, which Moody’s said probably had an additional negative impact on hospital finances. Medicaid represented 11.9% of median gross revenues in 2009 and increased to 12.4% in 2010. The median gross revenue from Medicare increased from 42.5% in 2009 to 43% in 2010. Payment rates for both programs have either been reduced or are expected to go down in the immediate future. But Moody’s said payments from commercial insurers are expected to decline as well.
“The federal deficit will further pressure hospital revenues, and we also expect lower rate increases from commercial payers as they face their own increased regulatory requirements under reform,” Wexler said.
A Need For Health Care Financial Management
Posted on Monday, October 17th, 2011 at 5:39 am.
In the ever changing world of health care and health care facilities, one thing is always constant, the need for Health Care Financial Management! Without continual dependable cash flow and essential auditing tools and a plan to increase cash recovery the fiscal health of your facility cannot be improved. Medical Business Resources knows how important the growing demand for data management and data integration for medical facilities is! Since 1996 MBR has been improving dependable cash flow for it’s clients which include almost every hospital in the Denver area and hundreds more accross the US. Learn more at www.mbrus.com or call 303-409-7722.
More than two years remain before millions of low-income Americans gain Medicaid eligibility through an expansion authorized by the health system reform law, but it’s already clear the overhaul will affect some states much more than others. Certain states in the Northeast and Midwest already cover most or all of their poorest residents. So the health reform law’s Medicaid expansion to 133% of the federal poverty level should pose relatively little strain to their safety nets. But other states — particularly in the South and Mountain West — are bracing for a bigger impact. They will take on significant shares of the 16 million people expected to gain Medicaid coverage beginning in 2014, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. About another 16 million people are expected to obtain private health coverage through insurance exchanges launching in 2014.
For these states, “primary care could be more of a problem in the future just because of the sheer increase in the demand,” said Peter Cunningham, PhD, a senior fellow and director of quantitative research for the Center for Studying Health System Change, who wrote a research brief on the issue in March.
Challenged states — such as Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Idaho — have limited numbers of physicians, but they already pay relatively high Medicaid fees to doctors in an effort to retain them. So a health reform provision that will raise Medicaid primary care pay to Medicare levels in 2013 and 2014 is not expected to lure many additional physicians in those states to accept new Medicaid patients, Cunningham said.
Texas, in particular, faces challenges because of its large uninsured population and low physician supply — especially in rural areas, Cunningham said. “It will be an interesting state to watch.”
Providing Efficient & Dependable Cash Flow
Posted on Friday, October 14th, 2011 at 5:50 am.
Your medical facility will run much more efficient and provide much more dependable cash flow if it is well maintained. Improving your revenue cycle is as easy as calling Medical Business Resources. MBR can improve your revenue cycle with their proven strategies and medical auditing tools. Improving your fiscal health is just a phone call away at 303-409-7722. Visit them online to learn more at www.mbrus.com . For 15 years MBR has improved the fiscal health of hundreds facilities accross the US.
Ron Shinkman: Many hospital finance executives have had that sudden and unpleasant expense pop up on their monthly expense spreadsheet as of late: The normally cheap generic injectable or oral medication suddenly costing 20 or 50 times the normal price–if it can be had at all.
There is a nationwide drug shortage that’s impacting hospitals both in terms of patient safety and the bottom line. As the Associated Press reported last month, those shortages have been linked to 15 patient deaths. It could cost the nation’s acute care facilities more than $400 million this year.
I have a healthy (or unhealthy) intellectual curiosity, depending on whom you ask. So I decided to take a closer look at the drug shortage bulletins issued by the University of Utah and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists to get a better idea of the causations for this shortage.
One of the biggest reasons was the shutdown of the American Regent factory in upstate New York for about a month last spring due to contamination on its production lines. There were various reasons cited for the contamination, including the possible presence of rust (presumably in the local water supply) and laminate particles from the vials used to hold the drugs (presumably the fault of the vial manufacturer). However, the language issued by American Regent is so vague that such issues may exist–or they may not.
Proven Processes To Aid In Cash Recovery, MBR
Posted on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 5:38 am.
Errors in processes and claim submission, too often contain holes which leads to revenue losses, wasted resources, and costly payment delays. Don’t let this continue to happen when you don’t have to! Medical Business Resources has the medical auditing tools, strategies and proven processes to aid you in cash recovery and a positive and dependable cash flow. Research the services of MBR Health Care Financial Services at www.mbrus.com . They have helped hundreds of medical facilities across the US since 1996! Call them at 303-409-7722 with any questions y0u may have.
AnswerData Software Improves Capture Rates, Health Care Financial Services
Posted on Friday, October 7th, 2011 at 6:04 am.
Did you know that Medical Business Resources can quickly show you how to improve and accelerate your revenue cycle and transform your healthcare organization within 90 days. With our AnswerData software it will improve your charge capture rates and will provide short term and long term proven strategies to get your accounts receivable turned into cash. Call MBR today at 303-409-7722 for more information and go to www.mbrus.com to learn about the other services MBR provides for health care providers.
Auditing Tools & Services For Health Care Providers
Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 at 3:41 am.
Medical Business Resources has the auditing tools and services for health care providers to aid in cash recovery and bringing dependable cash flow! MBR services include data services, consulting executive services, certified reviews and recovery. Call our Health Capital Consultants about how we can improve your revenue cycle at 303-409-7722. To learn more visit www.mbrus.com .
Nearly 50 percent of women having a heart attack do not know it because the symptoms seem minor or vague. Women tend to minimize the kind-of-not-feeling-well quality that is a heart attack. Cardiologists report that women also delay treatment not just because the warning signs are non-specific, but because women often tend to everything else before they take care of themselves.
Heart attacks are generally more severe in women than in men. In the first year after a heart attack, women are more likely to die than men are. In the first six years after a heart attack, women are almost twice as likely to have a second heart attack. Some of these differences are because women tend to have heart attacks at older ages than men who have heart attacks; and because they are older, women are more likely to have other medical problems, such as diabetes.
Coronary artery disease, also called hardening of the arteries, is the major cause.
The heart is a muscle like any other muscle in the body. It needs blood flow to supply oxygen to make it work. When there isn’t enough oxygen, the muscle starts to suffer; and when there is no oxygen, the muscle starts to die. The arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood are called coronary arteries. Over time, a coronary artery can become narrowed by the buildup of cholesterol in combination with other waxy substances and calcium deposits. That is called plaque. If the plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form within the artery and block the flow of blood. When that happens, you have a heart attack.
AAHAM TO AWARD MBR FOR OUTSTANDING CERTIFICATION SCORES
Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2011 at 10:34 pm.
(from left to right):
- Rena Willey, CPAM, IL AAHAM Chapter Certification Chairperson
- William C. Carlson, CPAM, IL AAHAM Chapter President
- Penny Weide, CCAT, CPAT, CCT, MBR Senior Analyst
- Tina Ward, CCAT, CPAT, MBR Business Office Manager
On September 9th, 2011, the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) Illinois
Chapter will present Medical Business Resources (MBR) with a plaque for outstanding certification success
DENVER, Colorado (September 6, 2011) – The American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) is the standard for certifications in healthcare administrative management and patient financial services. With pass rates nationally averaging 44%, these examinations are both extensive and challenging. MBR, a healthcare accounts receivable acceleration company, requires that all staff obtain these certifications to ensure quality service.
MBR’s Senior Account Analyst, Penny Weide, is very aware of the level of difficulty these certifications require, and accepted the low national average as a challenge. Penny began proctoring after-hours classes and created a thorough curriculum to prepare staff members for the AAHAM examinations. Her diligence coupled with enthusiastic staff has achieved record results.
Currently, 94% of MBR’s account specialists have obtained their Certified Patient Account Technician (CPAT) certification, surpassing the national AAHAM pass rate average by 29%. In the month of August, MBR’s group of exam takers had a 100% first time pass rate. Understanding the level of difficulty and detail these tests contain, MBR’s numbers quickly fell under the AAHAM Illinois Chapter’s radar. The association is so impressed with MBR’s achievements and will be presenting the company with a plaque of recognition on Friday, September 9th.
When asked what her secret was, Mrs. Weide delightfully responded, “With the expectations of the CPAT/CCAT technical exams requiring a passing score of 70%, the actual exam questions are comprised of multiple choice or true and false options. Our MBR certification exams are comprised of these qualities, in addition to “fill in the blank” questions. We feel if the staff can confidently write in the answer, their outcome percentage will be greater than that for multiple choice or true and false. Basically, if you can write it, then you know it!”
Dependable Cash Flow & Much Improved Fiscal Health
Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2011 at 5:22 am.
Analyzing reports on health care, cash recovery, medical revenue cycle analysis, practice valuation, medical pre-bill and post bill account resolution and medical auditing tools are all advantages that Medical Business Resources gives you! Our Health Capital Consultants work with you to bring you dependable cash flow and a much improved fiscal health. Call MBR at 303-409-7722 and to learn about our services log onto www.mbrus.com .
New data show that obesity rates in the United States and other nations will hit alarming levels in the next 20 years if nothing changes, prompting researchers to call on governments to take the lead in fighting the increasingly global epidemic.
The call comes as the United Nations is set to hold its first high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases Sept. 19-20 in New York.
“The inexorable global rise of obesity will be the toughest challenge they face,” study authors wrote in one study published in a four-part obesity series in The Lancet. In an accompanying editorial, the journal makes an “urgent call” to establish a framework for obesity control similar to the one the World Health Organization is using to help reduce tobacco use.
In the U.S. alone, study authors expect 65 million more obese adults by 2030 if trends continue. That would mean that 50% of the nation’s men would be obese and 45% to 52% of women would be obese, one of the studies showed. There are 99 million obese individuals in the U.S — about one in three people — although rates vary by sex and ethnicity.
Obesity problems extend well beyond America’s borders. One in four women is obese in the United Kingdom and Australia; seven of 10 women in Tonga are obese as well. Worldwide, about 1.5 billion adults are overweight and an additional half-billion are obese, the research showed. Researchers expect another 11 million obese people in the United Kingdom by 2030.
Price of inaction
Those extra numbers on the scale translate to an increase in health problems. In the U.S., authors of one of the studies expect to see 7.8 million extra cases of diabetes by 2030, 6.8 million more cases of coronary heart disease and stroke, and 539,000 extra cancer cases if weight gain continues.
MBR Health Care Financial Consulting Services
Posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 5:07 am.
Medical Business Resources Consulting Services consists of Revenue Cycle Analysis, Strategic Implementation & Staff Augmentation. This is just one of the great services of MBR. They have many cash recovery auditing tools to bring you dependable cash flow. Cal them today at 303-409-7722 and visit them online at www.mbrus.com .
McClatchy Tribune: Diabetes isn’t just a problem in the United States-about 366 million people worldwide have the disease, says the International Diabetes Federation. In Addition, 4.6 million deaths are attributed to diabetes, and health care spending has grown to a staggering $465 billion.
The figures were released this week in Lisbon, Portugal, at a meeting of the Association for t he Study of Diabetes, in advance of the U.N,. Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases next Monday and Tuesday in New York. The International Diabetes Federation, an umbrella group of more than 200 national diabetes associations in more than 160 countries, will release its Global Diabetes plan this weekend, outlining steps to combat the diabetes epidemic. The entire Diabetes Atlas, which includes breakdowns by region, will be available in November.
There is reason to be concerned. Last month the Lancet medical journal released a study that used past obesity trends in the US and the UK to predict what could happen if rates continuie to climb. By 2030 there could be more than 8 million cases of diabetes in the U.S. along with a 50 percent obesity rate.
Another 2011 Lancet study reported that the rates of Type 2 diabetes have more than doubled worldwide since 1980, going from about 153 million cases to about 347 million in 2008.
MBR At The Forefront Of Health Care Financial Services
Posted on Monday, September 26th, 2011 at 5:42 am.
Medical Business Resources is always working to meet the needs of its clients. Together with the help of their medical auditing tools and medical Revenue Cycle Analysis they are at the forefront of Health Care Financial Services. Call MBR at 303-409-7722 and learn more at www.mbrus.com .
LONDON: Cases of tuberculoisis resistant to multitude of drug treatments are rising “at an alarming rate” across Europe, with an estimated 81,000 new cases every year, the World Health Organization said in a report published Wednesday. Fifteen of the 27 countries with the highest incidence of multidrug-resistant TB are in Eastern Europe, but Asia has also been hit hard by the disease. Almost 12 percent of newly diagnosed patients with TB have the multidrug-resistant form, as do 37 percent of those who have previously been treated for TB, the report said.
Almost 12 percent of newly diagnosed patients with TB have the multidrug-resistant form, as do 37 percent of those who have previously been treated for TB, the report said. While countries in eastern Eruope and central Asia were hardest hit by drug-resistant TB, their treatment success rate of 65 percent was greater than that in western Europe. It said 3500 new cases were reported in London every year- more thatn anywhere else in western Europe. Across Britain, there werer around 9,000 cases anually.
Almost 50 percent of patients affected by the multidrug-resistant form of TB will die because no drugs are strong enough to treat them said the WHO.
The organization has launched a multi-billion -dollar action plan aimed at saving 120,000 lives in the period up to 2015.
