Becker's ASC Review

98 HEALTHCARE NEWS 98 Practices see more patients, bill more after private equity acquisitions: study By Alexi Kayser P rivate equity firms that acquire physician-owned practices may be upcoding or up-charging insurance, according to researchers at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. e study, published Sept. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared financial data from 578 private equity-acquired practices and 2,874 similar independent practices. e results showed that before acquisition, spending at private equity and non-private equity practices was similar. However, in the eight quarters following acquisition by a private equity firm, practices exhibited a consistent differential increase in spending. e study reported an average increase of 20.2 percent, or $71, in charges per claim, and 11 percent, or $24, in amount allowed per claim. Researchers also found a 37.9 percent increase in new patient visits. Although cases did not change in complexity, more visits were billed as longer than 30 minutes. "ese billing patterns could mean more efficient documentation of services provided, or it could mean upcoding or up-charging insurance companies to make more money," the study's senior author, Jane Zhu, MD, said in a Sept. 2 article on the university's website. Dr. Zhu said this is concerning to patients and policymakers, as private equity firms are usually driven by profit margins of at least 20 percent. "To [reach those margins], they have to generate higher revenues or reduce costs," she said. "Increasing private equity in these physician practices may be a symptom of the continuing corporatization of healthcare." n 5 best, worst states for women's healthcare in 2022 By Cailey Gleeson H awaii earned the top spot for women's healthcare on a ranking by SmartAsset, while Mississippi ranked the lowest. The analysis, published Aug. 3, examined data for all 50 states across a total of 11 metrics that researchers divided into three categories: access to care, affordability, and general health and well-being. Here are the five states with the highest overall rankings across access, affordability and general outcomes, according to the analysis: 1) Hawaii 2) Massachusetts 3) Rhode Island 4) Minnesota 5) Connecticut Here are the five states with the lowest overall rankings across access, affordability and general outcomes, according to the analysis: 1) Mississippi 2) Oklahoma 3) Arkansas 4) West Virginia 5) Nevada n HCA, AdventHealth and Novant compete for hospital beds in North Carolina By Nathan Tucker T he North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Health Services Regulation is reviewing three proposals for a hospital expansion project in Buncombe County, N.C., according to an Aug. 15 report from Blue Ridge Public Radio. Earlier this year, the state medical facilities plan determined that four counties, including Buncombe County, will have a combined projected need of 67 additional acute care beds. Three healthcare systems are being considered, and executives presented proposals during a public hearing Aug. 12 in Asheville, N.C. • Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Advent Health, which operates a hospital in Hendersonville, N.C. • Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, which operates Mission Hospital System in Asheville, N.C. • Winston Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health, which operates hospitals in parts of Central North Carolina. The three applications are under review by the health department, which could take up to five months. n

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