A financial storm is brewing for 2026. With employer health plan costs set for their highest jump in 15 years, the burden is shifting to patients. For medical practices, this moment is both a significant threat and a rare opportunity. Will you face rising bad debt and lower patient volume, or will you strengthen your practice's financial health?This episode provides a clear roadmap to navigate this complex environment. We discuss the critical risks, including the fact that 38% of patients are now skipping care due to cost and 76% of patient balances go uncollected.But we focus on the rewards. Learn how to implement effective pre-service and point-of-service collection strategies, which can boost overall collections by 20%. We also explore how to encourage the use of HSAs and FSAs, unlocking a $16 billion pool of consumer healthcare funds. Finally, we cover the essential technologies—from real-time eligibility verification to digital payment tools—that will be the deciding factor between practices that sink and those that swim in the new financial landscape of 2026.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes a significant shift in how Medicare reimburses doctors, moving away from the traditional method of calculating rates based on survey data from the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC). This change, outlined in the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, aims to reduce payments for many specialist services—such as surgery and diagnostic imaging—by an estimated 2.5%, while prioritising investment in primary care. The American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician groups strongly oppose this, arguing it could compromise patient safety and quality by encouraging increased service volume to offset lost revenue. CMS, however, characterises this as an "efficiency adjustment" for services that have become more streamlined over time, with the overarching goal of better aligning payment with modern clinical practice and supporting value-based care, although some medical societies cautiously endorse the agency's focus on primary care. this podcast discuss this in short for american based audience

Tune in for a crucial breakdown of the latest proposed changes impacting Medicare payments for doctors, new healthcare models, and telehealth services. This episode dives deep into the draft regulation released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), outlining significant updates that could reshape healthcare delivery and access.Here's what you'll learn:• Physician Pay Hike: Discover how doctors are set for a 2.5% increase in the base Medicare rate in 2026, a mandate from the recent "One Big Beautiful Bill". We'll also explain the higher reimbursement boost for doctors participating in alternative payment models, with a conversion factor of 3.83% compared to 3.62% for traditional fee-for-service Medicare. This follows a challenging year for doctors, who saw a 2.9% reduction in Medicare reimbursement.• New Mandatory Payment Models: Unpack the proposed five-year Ambulatory Specialty Model, which would mandate specialists to improve care for heart failure and lower back pain starting in 2027. Learn about this two-sided risk model and how CMS aims to assess quality, costs, and early intervention.• Enhanced Telehealth Flexibilities: Understand how CMS proposes to simplify the process for making additional telehealth services reimbursable under Medicare. Plus, explore new rules allowing physicians to carry out direct supervision for certain services, like cardiac rehabilitation, using audiovisual telecommunications.• Changes to the Shared Savings Program: We'll cover proposed limits on how long certain Medicare Shared Savings Program participants can remain in one-sided risk arrangements, with the goal of increasing participation in two-sided risk arrangements. Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) are also set to gain some relief from the requirement to cover at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries, with a new three-year window to achieve this benchmark from 2027.• CMS's Vision: Hear directly from CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on the agency's goals: "We’re making it easier for seniors to access preventive services, incentivising healthcare providers to deliver real results and cracking down on abuse that drives up costs".This insightful discussion highlights CMS's ongoing efforts to tackle chronic illness and prevention, and its deregulation agenda, with a crucial deadline for public comments set for 12 September. Stay informed on these vital changes affecting healthcare providers and beneficiaries across the nation.