Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1031444
73 CODING & BILLING service. But other times, it creates misaligned incentives; decisions about whether a patient receives a service in a hospital or in a doctor's office is influenced by how Medi- care pays." She went on to acknowledge that because Medicare pays more to services provided in hospitals, the agency is encouraging consolidation among providers and when con- solidation increases, prices also increase. "I have traveled the country and spent a lot of time with pro- viders from a variety of different settings and one thing has become completely clear to me: CMS has to modernize and refocus our policies on realigning incentives so that providers deliver value and quality to their patients," she said. "CMS' central mission is to transform the healthcare delivery system to one that moves away from delivering volume of services to one that delivers value for patients; one that provides high- quality accessible care at the lower cost." e American Hospital Association, however, does not support the change. e AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said in a statement, CMS "has once again showed a lack of understanding about the reality in which hospitals and health systems operate daily to serve the needs of their communities." n Medical coders are in high demand at ASCs & other facilities: Growth 2x US average By Angie Stewart D emand for medical coders in the U.S. is expected to grow by 13 percent through 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statis- tics reported in April. A growing population of older citizens with long-term and chronic med- ical conditions and other age-related health issues is fueling demand for healthcare services, which must be coded for reimbursement. Medical coders are needed for hospitals, physicians' offices, ASCs, nursing care facilities and other medical facilities. Remote work is also expanding. Here are three statistics from Newswire on the percent change in employment projected from 2016 to 2026: 1. Health technologists and technicians: 14 percent 2. Medical records and health information technicians: 13 percent 3. Total growth for all occupations: 7 percent Note: Medical coding is a specialization within the health informa- tion technician category. n 4,200+ ATTENDEES FROM HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS ACROSS THE NATION REGISTER BY MARCH 1, 2019 AND SAVE! CELEBRITY KEYNOTES BY 10TH ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 1-4, 2019 HYATT REGENCY | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS REGISTER HERE www.beckershospitalreview.com/conference registration@beckershealthcare.com, jcole@beckershealthcare.com, sbecker@ beckershealthcare.com or 800.417.2035. Great topics and speakers focused on strategy, health system alignment and growth, physician integration, improving profitability, ACOs, key specialties and more 300+ GREAT HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM LEADERS SPEAKING George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States of America and Founder of the George W. Bush Presidential Center President Bill Clinton Founder of the Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States of America Katie Couric Storied News Anchor, Producer, and Documentarian