On March 9, 2020, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), under U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its final rules on healthcare interoperability and medical record ownership and access. These rules, titled the Cures Act Final Rules, align with complementary rules proposed by the Center...

Events have converged to force healthcare in America to a tipping point. Stressed by overwhelming financial burdens, better consumer experiences in other sectors and with the support of regulators, patients are flexing their consumer might to force change and stimulate disruption. Traditional providers are taking steps to remain relevant and...

The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services recently announced a new strategy to reduce the administrative and regulatory burdens of electronic health record and other technology systems. Designed to give clinicians more time to focus on patient care, the strategy may fall well short of its objectives for better patient access and improved...

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and U.S. Congress among others are calling for improved transparency, better access and an end to aggressive healthcare collection tactics. Physicians are joining the chorus, with a sobering take on the health-related impacts of unaffordable...

Healthcare in America is on the threshold of great change, driven by disruptive new technologies, regulatory pressure and increasingly assertive, value-sensitive consumers. Recently published analysis “The top eight predictions that will disrupt healthcare in 2020” presents traditional healthcare providers with a stark choice – adapt or lose...

Several familiar themes emerged at the J.P. Morgan Annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco last week, affirming the growing influence of patient consumerism and the importance of leveraging technology to reduce costs and improve care. Highlights provide an early glimpse into the early stages of healthcare’s transformation in America.

Making it easy for patients to pay in advance or at point of service leads to a number of well-documented advantages for both hospitals and patients. But most hospitals lack the ability to engage with patients in a meaningful conversation about price, affordability and payment when it matters most.

Physicians and other clinicians represent an important and often overlooked constituency in the debate about healthcare price transparency. With rising out-of-pocket costs causing patients to avoid, delay or ration care, doctors need information about price to design treatment plans their patients will actually follow.

Most of us are familiar with the aphorism, “You have to spend money to make money”, but many health systems and hospitals have relied primarily on cost cutting to preserve deteriorating operating margins. As consumerism in healthcare continues to expand, providers must invest to improve efficiencies, engage consumers and drive growth.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed far-reaching new rules requiring hospitals and health plans across the U.S. to make prices for many of their more common procedures available to the public. The industry is realizing that this alone will not empower patients with the tools they need - and finding patient-first ways to...