Friday Five: Top 5 healthcare business news items from the MCOL Weekend edition

By Claire Thayer, August 31, 2018

Every business day, MCOL posts feature stories making news on the business of health care. Here are five we think are particularly important for this week:

How Modern Medicine Has Changed the Supreme Court

Two related health trends mean that each Supreme Court nomination now has the potential to shape the nation’s highest court for far longer than in the past.

The New York Times

Friday, August 31, 2018

The $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Down To $332. What About Other Surprise Bills?

A Texas hospital that charged a teacher $108,951 for care after a heart attack slashed the bill to $332.29 Thursday — but not before the huge charge sparked a national conversation over what should be done to combat surprise medical bills that afflict a growing number of Americans.

Kaiser Health News

Friday, August 31, 2018

Trade deal between U.S. and Mexico is criticized for allowing high drug prices to continue

Although details of the new trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico have not yet been released, a fight is already brewing among some drug makers and consumer advocates over one provision.

Stat News

Thursday, August 30, 2018

CFOs Expect Higher Hospital Labor Costs As Staffing Shortages Loom

About 78 percent of healthcare finance leaders expect hospital labor costs to grow in the next 12 months as the industry faces a worsening shortage of healthcare professionals, a new survey shows.

RevCycle Intelligence

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Healthcare Ridesharing Makes Inroads in Lost Revenue

Nearly 4 million patients per year miss out on care due to lack of available transportation options related to cost or geographic barriers, according to the 2017 American Hospital Association study, "Transportation and the Role of Hospitals."

Health Leaders Media

Monday, August 27, 2018

These and more weekly news items on the business of healthcare are featured in the MCOL Weekend edition, along with the MCOL Tidbits, and more, for MCOL Premium level members.