MGMA Week in Review: CMS Fines Hospitals, Telehealth Outpaces In-Person Visits, and AI Disrupts Care Delivery
Download MP3Hi, everyone. I'm your host, Daniel Williams, senior editor at MGMA and host of the MGMA Podcast Network. I am joined today, as I always am, with cohost Colleen Luckett and editor and writer here at MGMA. And we're always here on the MGMA weekend review. Each episode, we bring you the latest health care industry news, policy updates, expert insights, and stories from the field that we find interesting, informative, inspiring.
Daniel Williams:So let's get into this week's episode. We're actually recording a little bit earlier this week. I may have mentioned it, but I'm heading to Barcelona. So I am Okay. Gonna be offline for a while, but we're recording a little bit early just so we can get a episode to y'all this week.
Daniel Williams:It will publish. You're listening to it on a Friday or over the weekend, but, we're recording a little early this week. So, yeah, looking forward to that.
Colleen Luckett:Yeah. We can review never sleeps.
Daniel Williams:That's true. Bring us up to speed. What do you have going on this week, Colleen?
Colleen Luckett:Alright. In a recent opinion piece for a chief health care executive on June 16, Gabriel Genovesi breaks down why the CMS hospital acquired condition or HAC, h a c, reduction program should be on every health care executive's radar. So each year, CMS penalizes the bottom twenty five percent of short term acute care hospitals based on patient safety and infection scores. In 2025, 724 hospitals got hit with a 1% Medicare payment cut. That might not sound like much, but some single hospitals lost up to $3,600,000, and the average penalty per bed was over 1,300.
Colleen Luckett:For practices linked to hospital systems, that kind of financial strain can trickle down in all kinds of bad ways. So the HAC score includes five major infections and surgical site infections as well as broader safety indicators like pressure ulcers and post op sepsis. But here's the surprising part. According to Genovesi, many execs don't even know whether their hospital was penalized or why, and that's a big miss in a data driven era. These penalties can negatively impact your reputation, funding, partnerships, and resource allocation.
Colleen Luckett:If your practice is part of a larger system, this could influence staffing budgets, tech investments, and even patient volume shifts. Genovesi calls for cross functional accountability, getting CFOs, infection prevention teams, and clinical leaders on the same page. Infection data should be tied directly to financial strategy, not just buried in quality reports. Bottom line, ask the tough questions. Questions like, did your hospital receive a HAC penalty?
Colleen Luckett:If so, how much did it cost, and what's the plan to improve? It's smart governance and smart business. And it's a reminder that even in outpatient care, patient safety and financial health are deeply connected. Okay, Daniel. Over to you.
Daniel Williams:Alright. Thanks so much, Colleen. Our next article comes from medical economics. The title, video consultations are quicker, Easier, and Less Expensive than In Person Visits a Study Finds. So, let's dive into that topic.
Daniel Williams:So, a new randomized study out of Amsterdam UMC in The Netherlands looked at one hundred and twenty patients prepping for major abdominal surgeries. Half had their pre op consults via secure video, and the other half did the classic in clinic thing. Here's what they found. Satisfaction, nearly identical scores, about eighty five out of 100 in both groups. Information recall, also the same.
Daniel Williams:You can learn just as much by video as in person. Pretty compelling stuff. Right? You know what else is fascinating? Patients save two hours on average per appointment.
Daniel Williams:No driving. No parking. Less waiting around. Plus, they saved roughly about $21 in cold hard cash. And get this, c o two emissions from a video visit were 99% lower.
Daniel Williams:Quite frankly, I don't know how they weren't a 100% lower, but I don't know where that 1% came from. I guess using our Internet dial up. I don't know. Also, check this out. People liked being home.
Daniel Williams:They could have family beside them, look over CT scans together. It actually made the conversation easier and tech hiccups minimal. Only about seven percent had any, and those were usually resolved mid call. Doctors were into it too. Most said they'd recommend video consults and nobody in the video group felt like they needed a follow-up in person.
Daniel Williams:It wasn't just surgeons who saw value. This points to a broader potential role in primary care, chronic care, rural care, you name it. For busy practices looking to cut congestion and broaden access, this feels like a proof point that video isn't just convenient, it's clinically non inferior. Bottom line here is this Amsterdam study shows when it comes to surgical prep at least, video consults can deliver equivalent satisfaction and learning at lower cost, both financial and in and environmental. Worth thinking about for practices aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability.
Daniel Williams:Alright, Colleen. What's next?
Colleen Luckett:That's a great story. I was just thinking about rural health care and how we're really struggling here in The US, and that's a really good fix. Alright. Strap in, MGMA friends. Health care is moving faster than your EHR during a surprise system update.
Colleen Luckett:AI is diagnosing conditions, apples refilling your prescriptions, and your bathroom may already be a clinical lab. Welcome to what doctor Marshall Runge calls the great disruption. In a June 16 article for Real Clear Health, doctor Marshall S. Runge, executive VP of medical affairs and dean of the medical school at the University of Michigan, lays out a sweeping vision for the future of medicine. According to him, the industry is undergoing a full scale transformation driven by AI, consumer tech, advanced bio research, and shifting economic pressures, and it's reshaping every part of how we deliver and pay for care.
Colleen Luckett:We are seeing AI and large language models like ChatGPT giving providers and patients faster, deeper insight, telemedicine and at home monitoring tools, as we just talked about, changing what recovery looks like and where it happens, genomics and other breakthroughs fueling a new wave of drug development, and yes, big tech players like Amazon, Apple, and Google are now active participants in care delivery. These shifts are improving outcomes in areas like cancer, Alzheimer's, and obesity. But Roonge points out that miracle cures come at miracle prices with treatments like the new obesity obesity meds costing hundreds of dollars a month. Raising major questions about access and long term affordability in a system already burning through 18% of US g GDP. He also highlights the rise of DIY health care, a booming market of home testing kits, But many of these are unregulated, and some have already raised red flags for toxicity, inaccuracy, and confusion.
Colleen Luckett:Patients are navigating a complex mix of convenience and risk, and providers may find themselves catching the fallout. So what's the call to action for practice leaders? Know that care delivery and patient expectations are shifting fast. Look at how your organization is integrating remote care, AI tools, and new tech partnerships, and think strategically about how these changes will affect staffing, reimbursement, and outcomes. BRENGE's central message is every part of the health care system is connected, and real transformation means working across sectors, clinical, financial, policy, and tech to deliver better care without losing sight of equity and cost.
Colleen Luckett:In other words, the great disruption has already arrived. And as the great twenty first century sage, Taylor Swift said, are you ready for it? Daniel, back to you.
Daniel Williams:Thank you so much for that, Colleen. Our next article comes from physician practice, and it's all about something that sounds simple, but literally can make or break the patient experience running on time. Now let's be honest, most of us have waited and waited in a cold exam room, hearing hallway chatter while the clock ticks. This article lays out some smart ways for physicians to flip that script. It's not rocket science according to the article.
Daniel Williams:It's more like consistent systems and small tweaks that ripple through the whole day. One of the biggest ideas, start on time. Not on time, not let me just check one more thing on time, actual ready at 09:00 sharp on time. When a provider starts behind, the whole day turns into a catch up mode, and that's when things get chaotic. The piece also talks about prep, having lab results, charts, imaging, everything all queued up before the patient walks in.
Daniel Williams:That kind of readiness makes appointments flow. Patients feel like you're expecting them, not like you're still figuring out who they are. There's also a call to limit interruptions. No non urgent calls or staff popping in unless it's critical. It's about protecting that fifteen minute block with a patient like it actually matters, which of course it does.
Daniel Williams:And I like this one, prepping new patients before their visits. We just talked about the virtual video calls. And I talked about this last week about how my dentist, because I'd might I just had a dental checkup and how they check-in with me. They have everything ready. They know who I am.
Daniel Williams:All those things. It really matters. And so what does this mean here at your practice? It means paperwork done early, expectations set, and maybe even a welcome call. It is a small investment that pays off when the visit doesn't get eaten up by forms.
Daniel Williams:At the heart of it, these suggestions aren't just about being punctual. They're about being present. When a provider walks in focused, prepared, and on time, the whole room feels it. That's trust. That's professionalism.
Daniel Williams:And honestly, that's good medicine. So if your practice has been feeling that slow daily slide into running late, this article's a good reset. So if you can really lock in and be on time for things like this, wow. It can make such a difference. So what were you gonna say, Colleen?
Daniel Williams:You were gonna
Colleen Luckett:Oh, no. I was gonna say as a from a patient perspective, just an extra tip. My doctor adds, like, really nice meditation music in the exam room. They have this little I don't know. Some little box that has these nice colors coming out of it and music this meditation music.
Colleen Luckett:And that really helps actually bring down that white coat anxiety, I guess they call it or something. So, yeah, blood pressure looks a little bit better for that visit. But, yeah, those are great tips and yeah. Awesome. I have my last story coming up here, and this is for any practice leader who's ever nailed productivity benchmarks but still wonders why Dave from accounting gets all the birthday cupcakes?
Colleen Luckett:Turns out being likable at work might be your missing KPI. In a June 16 article, executive coach Joel Garfinkel breaks down why likability at work is more than just fluffy soft skills. It can be strategic leverage. According to research cited in the piece, including from Harvard Business Review, likable people earn more, get promoted faster, and are more likely to be trusted as leaders, even when their technical skills are just average. So what makes someone likable at work?
Colleen Luckett:Garfinkel offers seven practical, fluff free strategies that may seem obvious, but it's always a good reminder. Number one, be warm and approachable. Smile, use names, and start conversations with a personal touch. Two, find common ground. Share an interest, build connection.
Colleen Luckett:Think books, sports, or that last chaotic team meeting. Three, be reliable and helpful. Keep your word, pitch in, and be the person others know they can count on. Four, listen more than you talk. Make people feel heard because being memorable is often about how you make others feel.
Colleen Luckett:Number five, stay positive and solution focused. So bring calm energy and focus on fixing, not just flagging problems. Number six, share credit. Shine the light on others when things go well. It builds goodwill fast.
Colleen Luckett:Seven, be authentic. No need to force fake cheer. Sincerity builds trust. Garfinkel shares a coaching example where a technically leader saw their career take off not because they added more credentials, but because they worked on building real relationships. Likeability created momentum where expertise alone had stalled.
Colleen Luckett:And for MGMA leaders, it's a good reminder. Operational excellence matters, of course, but people work best with those they trust and enjoy. Building rapport, sharing wins, and keeping it real can help create stronger teams and better outcomes, especially in today's high pressure health care environment. And, hey, if that fails, you can always try being the person who brings snacks to the staff meetings. Liability guaranteed.
Colleen Luckett:And remember, everyone, all of our articles' links will be in the show notes so you can check out the fuller articles there. That's a wrap for me today, Danielle. Back to you. By the way, enjoy your amazing vacation in Spain. I already know it's gonna be awesome.
Daniel Williams:Thank you so much. And that is gonna do it for this week of the MGMA Week in review. Y'all, I am already dreaming about what's gonna be going on in Spain. So when I return, I will have stories to tell. So until then, thank you all so much for being MGMA podcast listeners.
Colleen Luckett:Thanks, everyone. See you next time.
