GLG News by General and Acute Care Hospital Economic Experts

The Health insurance industry is anticipating a profit windfall with the Universal Health Coverage proposals. Where is that money coming from? Will it come from the Federal government? Or, will the money come from a segment of society that has less influence on this debate? Could it be that the industries...

Infection Rates and Quality Indicators now impact reimbursement. The Revenue Cycle Team at a hospital must incorporate both features into any work plan.

 Hypercholesterolemia has an established link with a risk of cardiac events and there has been a push to screen high risk population for early intervention in an effort to reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes, for example. However to suggest any benefit from screening babies is to...

Recently there has been a rash of takeover of publicly owned nursing homes by private equity firms flush with cash. There is a concomitant suspicion now that quality is being compromised systematically in these institutions in order to maximize profits. It's important to ascertain if this is so. If...

Many lower income families depend on the SCHIP program administered by individual states to pay for healthcare. Republicans see this as just another entitlement program while Democrats see it as an essential way of making sure children have access to the basics in healthcare. This veto might be based...

Diabetes continues to be a global problem with hefty costs in dollars, death and disability.  Over the years treatment has not varied much-exercise, diet and use of insulin- and the problem continues to grow. If bariatric surgery shows amelioration of diabetes (if "cure" is too strong a worrd), ...

The implications from physicians using an electronic medical record are better care of the patient as the latest results can be reviewed and compared longitudinally, less tests being ordered, fewer medication errors, and greater access to the patient's health information by the physician.

It is important to look closely at the new niche called Concierge Medicine. It is obviously created out of  a special need and will prove lucrative for physicians who choose to go that route. But there are larger questions of access and ethics of exclusivity/ One has to consider whether this...

The recent changes in leadership in the LTAC space is significant and suggests a tightening of operations. It is important to monitor the overall long term space as well as follow who goes where.  The changes are not insignificant, but may not be as ominous as they appear on the surface. Investors...

1)  Payment reductions for medical errors will not change provider behavior. 2)  Reduced payments to providers could accelerate medical errors.