In 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) dealt cardiologists a significant cut in technical reimbursement for their primary in-office ancillary services (such as echocardiography, nuclear medicine, etc.). Further, CMS eliminated lucrative consultation codes replacing them with lower-reimbursed E&M codes. Given these reimbursement cuts, it would seem logical to observe a decline in… Read More

Consider two identical ambulatory surgery centers – one located in Texas and one in Michigan. Assuming that all operating characteristics of the two centers are the same – revenue, EBITDA, case mix, physician mix & age, payor mix – do the ASCs have equal or different values? Without understanding the demographic conditions and trends in… Read More

VMG has been intricately involved with physician owned hospitals (POHs) since their inception. In fact, VMG assisted in the development and continues to be involved in an advisory role of numerous highly successful POHs, both locally and nationwide. Our involvement with this industry has afforded us the opportunity to observe the financial and operational performance… Read More

Over the last five years, the United States economy has been on a rollercoaster ride. From rising oil prices to Europe’s debt crisis to our own banking, housing, and credit crises, Americans have been weathering an economic storm. However, according to the Economist, “[…] economic recovery […] needs the [recovery] process to advance far enough… Read More

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its’ proposed rule (Rule) for changes related to payment policies under the physician fee schedule and other areas on July 6, 2012. According to a copy of the Rule on the Office of Federal Register website, the Rule “…addresses changes to the physician fee schedule, payments… Read More

This month, the federal data on U.S. healthcare spending growth for 2012 was released, which is the latest data available. Overall, health spending rose 3.7% ($2.8 trillion or $8,915 per person), up from 2011, but far lower than the 8.0% annual increases seen in the early 2000s. The share of the economy devoted to healthcare… Read More