Becker's ASC Review

106 HEALTHCARE NEWS 54% of providers changed contactless payment strategy amid the pandemic By Katie Adams T he pandemic forced healthcare pro- viders to modernize their revenue cycle practices and offer more digital options, and patients want that trend to remain, according to survey results re- leased March 23 by InstaMed, J.P. Morgan's healthcare billing and payment company. e Trends in Healthcare Payments Elev- enth Annual Report surveyed consumers, providers and payers to highlight health- care billing and payment trends from 2020. Below are six notable findings: 1. Fiy-four percent of providers changed their contactless payment strategy because of the pandemic. 2. irty-nine percent of providers said their primary revenue cycle concern was pandemic-related. 3. Eighty-four percent of providers prefer electronic funds transfers from payers. However, 62 percent of payers still pay providers via paper and fee-based options. 4. Eighty-two percent of consumers want to make all of their healthcare payments in one place. 5. Fiy-six percent of consumers would consider switching healthcare providers for a better payment experi- ence. 6. Seventy-eight percent of consum- ers want the pandemic's prevalent contactless payment options to remain in place. n Feds eye $147M paid to ASC, clinic owner for uninsured COVID-19 patient treatment By Laura Dyrda A California surgeon's medical practice and ASCs received about $147 million in government funds meant for facilities treating uninsured COVID-19 patients, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Five details: 1. HHS took note of the nearly $81 million paid to Elite Care Medical Group in Westminster, Calif., and notified the U.S. Justice Department, according to the March 29 report. Elite Care received more from the fund than any hospital or oth- er healthcare provider in the U.S. except Houston-based Harris Health System. 2. Anthony Dinh, MD, operates Elite Care as well two Garden Grove, Calif.- based surgery centers: Garden Grove Outpatient Surgery Center, which re- ceived $16 million in federal funds, and Elite E.N.T. & Plastic Surgery Medical Center, which received $50 million. 3. The practice said it is examining its bills and found errors in the claims submitted to HHS. Dr. Dinh's attorney told The Journal Elite Care has funds set aside for reimbursement when its audit is complete. 4. Elite Care provided a treatment designed to reduce viral load in the noses of COVID-19 patients and speed their recovery, according to Dr. Dinh's attor- ney. However, Adarsh Bhimraj, who manages COVID-19 treatment guidelines for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told The Journal there's no evidence that nasal sprays reduce COVID-19 spread. 5. The HHS Office of the Inspector General did not confirm or deny an investi- gation into the payments. n Tennessee hospital abruptly closes By Ayla Ellison J ellico (Tenn.) Medical Center closed March 1, days after the city council voted to send a contract termination notice to the hospital's operator, Rennova Health, according to TV station WBIR. The hospital, owned by the city, has not admitted a patient since November and often doesn't have enough staff to provide adequate patient care, city attorney Elizabeth Burrell told TV station WATE. She said West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova has breached its contract by not operating Jellico Medi- cal Center as an acute care hospital, according to WBIR. Rennova Health management said the city council's contract termination decision left the company with no option but to close the hospital. "Repercussions of the decision made by the City of Jellico at last week's public board meeting mean it is no longer viable for Rennova Health, Inc. to consider the financial support or investment needed for Jellico hospital to continue to operate in any capacity on a daily basis," Rennova said in a state- ment to WVLT. Rennova CEO Seamus Lagan said the hospital needs significant investments of about $500,000 for upgrades, and the city council is aware of deficiencies at the hospital. n

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