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New report: Some Medicare money won’t last past next decade
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationMedicare spending was 15 percent of total federal spending in 2017, and is projected to rise to 18 percent by 2028. Based on the latest projections, the Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2026, three years earlier than the 2017 projection, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) points out in its new report, "The Facts on Medicare Spending and Financing."
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How extending hours can benefit your practice and patients
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a busy primary care provider, you're no doubt always looking for ways to maximize the care options you can provide your patients. Yet there never seem to be enough hours in the day to do so. The simplest solution? Make more hours and extend your practice's daily appointment times. There are multiple upsides to adding additional office availability each week, as research has shown that patients, physicians and staff can all benefit from a practically planned expansion.
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A healthcare facility’s magic wand
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationFor healthcare facilities — hospitals, nursing homes, surgical centers, etc. — there are plenty of issues that impact the financial bottom line and an organization’s overall well-being. If you were a healthcare executive with a magic wand, what are the things you would want to pull out of the proverbial magic hat in order to ensure your organization’s survival and success? Here are some ideas to consider.
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Successful strategies to cut patient readmissions
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a hospital administrator, there's no doubt that you're seeking to avoid readmissions in any way you can. You want your patients to do well health-wise after discharge, first and foremost, and you also want to avoid any financial penalty from Medicare for especially high readmission rates at your institution. This can be hard to accomplish, however. The good news? There are concrete steps you can take to reduce this issue, improve your patients' outcomes and strengthen your staff members' collaborative efforts as they work to make the post-care transition as safe and seamless as possible.
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New law makes it easier for veterans to access healthcare
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareOur nation’s veterans certainly deserve the spotlight all the time. But in the month of July, the spotlight shines a little brighter as, collectively, we recognize and honor our nation’s veterans as we celebrate the birth of the United States of America. Just in time for this year’s Fourth of July festivities, a new law has passed that will make it easier for all veterans to receive needed health care and will also benefit the dentists and physicians who work for Veterans Affairs facilities.
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Osteoporosis patients who take ‘drug holidays’ may suffer increased…
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareOsteoporosis affects nearly 200 million women worldwide, and the prevalence of bone diseases is expected to increase significantly as the population ages. In the U.S., the number of people age 65 and older is expected to rise to 86 million in 2050 from 35 million in 2000. Fractures, which are common and can be quite debilitating, are by far the biggest problem caused by bone disease and are often the first sign of the disease in patients. Worldwide, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures annually, resulting in an osteoporotic fracture every three seconds.
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Volunteers sought for August dental mission in Grenada
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareHave a heart to serve? Love traveling? Looking for ways to use your skills to help others? Great opportunity awaits. Great Shape!, a California-based nonprofit organization is launching its inaugural project in Grenada this August and is looking for volunteers for oral health care and education in the underserved Caribbean nation. Great Shape! has primarily been active in Jamaica but expanded its 1000 Smiles project to St. Lucia in 2015.
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Labor Dept. rules expand AHPs, in further blow to Obamacare
Seth Sandronsky Healthcare AdministrationThe Trump administration’s Department of Labor on June 19 issued a final rule that lets groups of small businesses offer Association Health Plans (AHPs), which are health insurance plans that sidestep some provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. "Every American should be able to get comprehensive health care coverage they can afford, and we support the goal of increasing competition and choice in ways that improve affordability," said Kristine Grow, senior vice president of communications for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association, in a statement.
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Negotiating commercial leases: Buying a business?
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.
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ADA appeals to Congress to expand HSA/FSA flexibility for 2019
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe American Dental Association has a strong advocacy wing, whose primary role is to influence public policies affecting the practice of dentistry and the oral health of the American public. In a recent letter directed to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, the ADA asked Congress to increase the limits of health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for the coming year. The hope is that consumers will be more likely to use their tax-advantaged savings toward dental services if their plans are less limited.
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