It appears that the detested sustainable growth rate formula finally may be repealed in 2014. The replacement likely will lean heavily on provisions designed to ensure value for patients and payers.

When it comes to healthcare spending, what is good for the gander appears to be not so good for the goose, according to a study published online Dec. 12 in the American Journal of Public Health.

The aggregate cost for hospital stays in the U.S. surpassed $387 billion in 2011, with five cardiovascular conditions accounting for about 13 percent of the total.

Although most medical residency programs are aware of the need for a curriculum focused on cutting patient-care costs, few programs actually offer one, according to a research letter published online Dec. 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine.  

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic designed and validated an algorithm using billing codes that accurately identifies people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a community-based sample.

Budget legislation tops the Senate’s docket this week after the House of Representatives agreed to give the sustainable growth rate (SGR) issue a three-month reprieve. Here is a look at how that is likely to affect cardiology if the Senate follows suit.

Using standardized protocols during dedicated emergency department (ED) observation visits may be cheaper and result in shorter stays and fewer admissions, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs.

Hospitals’ all-cause 30-day readmission rates dipped below 18 percent in a preliminary analysis of the first eight months of 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on its blog.