Same-Day Surgery – September 1, 2004
September 1, 2004
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Ensure your uninsured patients aren’t being hounded for payment
Outpatient surgery managers are taking notice of 31 lawsuits that have been filed against nearly 300 nonprofit hospitals and the Chicago-based American Hospital Association (AHA) in federal court since June. The lawsuits claim some tax-exempt hospitals charged uninsured patients more than insured ones or that they use aggressive collection practices against low-income patients. -
Hospital outpatient services get 6.6% increase
Hospitals would receive a 6.6% total increase in payments for outpatient services under a proposed outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) rule issued for calendar year 2005. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes a 3.3% payment rate increase for OPPS services. -
Is your collections agency reflecting poorly on you?
Keep in mind that for public relations (PR) purposes, and in some cases for legal purposes, a collections firm is an extension of your program, says Scott Becker, CPA, JD, co-chair of the Health Care Department at the Chicago-based law firm McGuireWoods. -
This group helps uninsured with free outpatient surgery
Operation Access, a nonprofit organization, brings together 110 physicians, 155 nurses and techs, and 16 hospitals that volunteer their OR time, fees, pharmaceuticals, and other supplies. In 2003, the organization performed 260 cases. -
Same-Day Surgery Manager
I often receive multiple questions from Same-Day Surgery readers, but theyre on the same topic. Ive addressed several below. I always welcome your e-mails. All are confidential and deleted from our server when read, so you can speak honestly! -
New patient safety goals set outpatient priorities
Medications, surgical fires, timeliness of reports, and falls are new additions to the 2005 National Patient Safety Goals and Requirements published by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. -
Joint Commission 2005 National Patient Safety Goals
The following new goals and/or requirements apply to hospital-based, freestanding, and office-based same-day surgery programs. The new goals or requirements are indicated in bold. -
State programs emphasize the need for patient safety
Although the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has provided a standardized, national road map to improvement of patient safety with its national patient safety goals, two states have approached patient safety as a statewide initiative that requires collaboration and communication. -
Freezing a tumor improves accuracy of the procedure
Lumpectomy has long been recognized as an effective alternative to mastectomy for many types of malignant tumors, but the use of a cryo-probe to locate and isolate small tumors promises even more benefits to surgeons and patients. -
Journal Review
Dexter F, Macario A. When to release allocated operating room time to increase operating room efficiency. Anesth Analg 2004; 98:758-762. -
Protect your hospital’s tax-exempt status