ViewPoints Blog

Over the course of the last two weeks we’ve taken a closer look at how top performing rural providers are tackling Quality and Value Based Purchasing. Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on patient satisfaction – critical in today’s complex and competitive marketplace.

With the onset of the PPACA, a Republican Congress and Senate, and a Presidential election looming, the future of rural healthcare promises more uncertainty. Secretary Burwell’s announcement and further reform proposals to Medicare payments specific to hips and knee cases continues to push from the historic volume-based model.

Last week, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced ambitious plans to move from “volume to value in Medicare payments” by accelerating the share of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payments that are tied to quality and value and reimbursed through alternative payment models. For rural hospitals in America, the implementation of Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program has long loomed as a financial time bomb.

Your Voice, Louder. The NRHA's slogan rang loud and true last week at the 2014 CAH Conference in Kansas City. Given the mounting challenges in the rural health community, it was no surprise that the regulatory and industry updates delivered Maggie Elehwany, NRHA, and Priya Bathija, AHA, were the focal point for an anxious crowd.