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Hospitals Slash Labor Costs to Make Up for Lost Medicare Revenue
Hospitals spend less on operations-largely by squeezing labor costs-to make up for lost revenue when Medicare cuts hospital prices, according to a study.
Hospitals spend less on operations—largely by squeezing labor costs—to make up for lost revenue when Medicare cuts hospital prices, according to a study published in the journal Health Services Research.
The study found that hospitals eliminate 1.7 full-time jobs for every $100,000 drop in Medicare revenue. Nurses accounted for one-third of the reduced workforce. The study did not look at any impact on quality of care.
The results suggest that hospitals have the flexibility to respond as Medicare continues to squeeze hospital prices under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, said co-author Chapin White, a senior researcher with the Center for Studying Health System Change and former principal analyst for the Congressional Budget Office.
“When Medicare cuts prices, it looks like hospitals figure out how to operate in a lower-cost way,” he said in an interview.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/1grd4Xo
Source: Modern Healthcare
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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PCPs Have Unique Opportunity to Detect, Manage CKD
August 14th 2025As the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to rise, empowering primary care providers (PCPs) with the tools, training, and collaborative frameworks needed for optimal management is a public health priority, emphasize the researchers.
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