Author: Patsy Newitt

Roya Jafari-Hassad, MD, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment for prescribing oxycodone pills without a legitimate medical purpose and fraudulently billing insurance providers for procedures that were never performed, according to a March 2 news release from the U.S.…

Contract negotiations between ASCs and payers are becoming increasingly complex as both sides sharpen their strategies in a tighter reimbursement environment. ASC leaders describe a landscape in which insurers are flexing scale, data analytics and network design to contain costs…

Clinician turnover is shaped less by perks and more by the fundamentals of how work feels day to day, according to a report from SullivanCotter and Lotis Blue.  The report found that decisions to stay or leave are driven primarily…

ASCs have long stood as a clear value proposition within healthcare — delivering lower costs, high patient satisfaction and streamlined care — but leaders say the model is facing mounting strain as financial, workforce and competitive pressures converge. While outpatient…

By 2036, the U.S. is projected to have a supply of 50,490 anesthesia physicians but a demand for 60,760 — a shortfall of more than 10,000 physicians nationwide — according to projections from the Department of Health and Human Services’…

Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations that it received kickbacks in exchange for referrals of gastrointestinal pathology services, as well as performed medically unnecessary GI pathology services, according to a March 2 news release from…

From widening commercial price gaps and declining Medicare surgeon pay, five studies are raising questions about the financial and structural pressures facing ASCs.  The studies quantify shrinking surgeon reimbursement, consolidation-linked price increases, hospital site-of-care advantages and socioeconomic disparities in ASC…

Private equity firms acquired at least 21 outpatient medical practices in January, spanning specialties including primary care, cardiology, radiology, pediatrics, eye care, dermatology, pain management and ENT, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, which tracks PE-backed healthcare acquisitions. The…

In a recent advisory opinion, the Office of Inspector General ruled a specific urgent care management service organization’s plan to run an affiliated clinical lab would not create prohibited “remuneration” under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, according to a Feb. 26…

Colonoscopy billing can be very complex, hinging on distinctions between screening and diagnostic intent. A single ICD-10 code, CPT selection or missing modifier can shift a procedure from fully covered preventive care to a medically necessary diagnostic service.  Here are…