Yesterday, CMS said President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has already made a sizable impact on the country's healthcare system through reduced spending and increased health outcomes.

The concept of accountable care organizations — of payors and care providers working together to achieve the triple aim of lowering healthcare costs while improving the quality of care and patient outcomes — has mainly been focused on primary care…

Nurse practitioner practice opportunities are limited not only by scope-of-care laws but also by payor policies, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change for the National Institute for Health Care Reform.

The California Association of Physician Groups, which represents physician groups and affiliates in 22 states across the country, has opened an office in Washington, D.C., to ensure accountable care remains a priority for Congress and President Barack Obama's administration.

Since 2009, Medicare has paid approximately $5.1 billion for skilled nursing facility stays that did not meet quality-of-care requirements, according to a report by HHS' Office of Inspector General.

Medicare and Medicaid patients are more likely than other patients to be admitted to a hospital within seven days of being discharged from an emergency department, according to a study in Annals of Emergency Medicine.

A free venous thromboembolism prophylaxis pocket card is available from IPRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for New York state, to guide providers in choosing prophylactic measures for different surgeries.

From 2010 to 2011, inpatient admissions for substance use increased 19.5 percent and mental health admissions increased 5.9 percent, according to a Health Care Cost Institute report.

The operating room is the traditional revenue engine of the hospital. Perioperative services at better performing institutions contribute up to 68 percent of a hospital's revenue. As the U.S. healthcare paradigm changes from quantity to quality, accountable care and Value-Based…

Harrisburg, Pa.-based PinnacleHealth is expanding its participation in Pittsburgh-based Highmark's patient-centered medical home program to include its medical group practices.