By Ian Duncan September 2010 – The health reform plan enacted by Massachusetts in April 2006 has been the subject of considerable scrutiny, both on its own merits and because it is a model for the national reform recently enacted by Congress.  This Massachusetts legislation reformed insurance markets, subsidized insurance coverage for a large subset… Read more »

By Nancy Ham August 2010 – New contracting models, spiraling costs, and healthcare reform are pushing everyone in healthcare to look at alternative solutions to the status quo.  Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a term originally defined in the Medicare realm, but has now become the most popular watchword for a model that could make… Read more »

By Jim Gibson July 2010 – As we celebrate our nation’s birthday and the unofficial height of summer, it seems like a good time to take a break from business as usual. This week many people are naturally thinking about our country’s history and the American spirit. I found myself thinking also about our non-American… Read more »

By Tori Sullivan June 2010 – Y2K spurred the healthcare industry to update technology solutions and implement electronic health record systems. Many organizations moved from index card-based systems to paperless files. The implementation left health information offices neat and tidy, while providers pulled their hair out struggling to make the operational changes. How often do… Read more »

By Dan Chavez April 2010 – As the US healthcare system becomes more electronic, many are surprised to learn that most payments to providers are still paper-based. Even though authorization and claim submissions are 90% electronic and climbing, payments to providers are the inverse.  With the acceptance of Pay Pal, online banking, and direct deposit,… Read more »

by John Moran EDITOR’S NOTE: With HIMSS rapidly approaching, we asked John Moran, executive media coach for Schwartz Communications, to share some suggestions for optimizing this opportunity. We hope you agree his pointers are useful for any trade show, road show, or key business interaction. February 2010 – The upcoming HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management… Read more »

by Richard Noffsinger The biggest waves are always the best and most coveted for surfing, but they also have the potential for creating the most mayhem. Instead of salt water, the wave that I see building not too far off the horizon is made up of billions of kilobytes of clinical data, brought on by… Read more »

by Jim Gibson It’s that wonderful time of year when we weave into our daily routine the expression of good wishes – joy, contentment, and peace. This holiday season, I would like to wish you the “peace of invulnerability.” We all desire and cherish a sense of personal peace. Someone once described it to me… Read more »

by Ray Desrochers The healthcare payor market is changing faster than ever before.  Healthcare reform initiatives, regulatory revisions, and the movement away from the static, one-size-fits-all healthcare options of the past are creating new challenges and opportunities for payors across the nation. Many find themselves facing a growing demand for financial accountability and responsibility, transparency,… Read more »

by Philippe d’Offay With the growing adoption of EMRs and e-prescribing, many small and medium-sized practices are discovering that software – which has the ability to eliminate costly manual processes – also can introduce inefficiencies.  How will the patient’s electronic chart include the prescription that a doctor entered on her iPhone, or the lab that… Read more »