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Practice Management Alert

Payer Updates:

Highmark, 2 Hospitals Talk Flat-Rate Reimbursement

Published on Sat Jan 23, 2010

Answer: Highmark and two Pennsylvania-based hospitals are in talks to change the reimbursement plans for those hospitals -- possibly to a flat rate for certain groups of people. Highmark, Beaver-Pa.-based Heritage Valley Health System, and Meadville Medical Center in Crawford County are discussing new payment options, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. Options include the possibility of offering care to patients with chronic health problems and bundling payments for medical care to "a much larger group." Highmark's president and CEO, Kenneth Melani, MD, told the Times that he hopes the new payment method will make for better quality care that's more affordable. "We are trying to find integrated delivery systems," Melani said. "We are experimenting, which will become more aggressive in the next five years." No arrangements have been finalized. In other news: Six of the nation's largest insurers have been lashed by reports that they contributed between $10-$20 million to [...]
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