Becker's Hospital Review

23 CFO / FINANCE Price transparency rated 'exemplary' at 2 Georgia system hospitals after CMS fines By Andrew Cass T he first two hospitals fined for price transparency violations now have "exemplary" disclosures, PatientRightsAdvocate.org Cynthia founder Fisher told USA Today in an Aug. 9 report. In June, CMS fined two hospitals in the Atlanta-based Northside Hospital for violations. Northside Hospital Atlanta, the health system's flagship facility, was fined $883,180. Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton, Ga., was fined $214,320. CMS said Northside Hospital Atlanta didn't have a searchable list for consumers posted in a prominent manner that clearly identified the location of the hospital concerned, according to the report. CMS said "no consumer-friendly list of standard charges was found," for Northside Hospital Cherokee. Ms. Fisher said that both hospitals quickly came into compliance after those fines were levied and they both now have "exemplary" price disclosures. An Aug. 9 report from PatientRightsAdvocate.org found that only 16 percent of hospitals are complying with the price transparency rule nearly 20 months after it went into effect. "If [CMS] does its job and actually enforces this law, hospitals will come into compliance," Ms. Fisher said. n Orlando Health names Howard Brown CFO of South Central Region By Hayley DeSilva Howard Brown has been named Orlando (Fla.) Health South Central Region's new CFO. Prior to Orlando Health, Mr. Brown served as CFO for Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Medical Center and for Miami-based North Shore Medical Center. "Howard is an established healthcare leader with a strong financial acumen," Philip Koovakada, senior vice president of Orlando Health South Central Region and president of Orlando Health-Health Central Hospital said in an Aug. 8 press release shared with Becker's. "His experience and ability to build strong relationships will help the team continue driving toward excellence." Mr. Brown also previously acted as financial controller for West Palm Beach, Fla.-based St. Mary's Medical Center. Before entering into healthcare, he was a senior auditor for two public accountant firms. Mr. Brown will begin his position Aug. 29. n 4 in 10 Americans cut spending to cover healthcare costs By Nathan Tucker F our in 10 Americans have delayed or skipped healthcare treatments in the last six months due to rising healthcare costs, according to an Aug. 4 report from Gallup. According to the report, about 98 million Americans were forced to take extraordinary measures to afford healthcare, including trimming household expenses or borrowing money. Over half of adults in households earning less than $48,000 a year reported cutting spending. In households earning at least $180,000, about 19 percent have cut costs to afford healthcare. In the last six months, 26 percent of adults reported delaying or avoiding medical care or purchasing prescription drugs due to rising costs. at number increases to 43 percent of adults in lower-income households. Overall the report details that consumers who cut back on non- healthcare-related expenses were significantly more likely to cut spending on healthcare. • Of those who cut back on utilities, 59 percent also cut back on medical care and medicine. • Of those who skipped a meal, 71 percent also cut back on medical care and medicine. • Of those who borrowed money, 60 percent also cut back on medical care and medicine. • Of those who drove less, 55 percent also cut back on medical care and medicine. • Of those who did any of the above, 51 percent also cut back on medical care and medicine. n

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