Two major credit-rating agencies have released reports showing that operating margins have improved for not-for-profit hospitals and health systems. For the first time since 2011, revenue growth surpassed expense growth, according to the report from Moody's Investors Service. Median revenue growth for healthcare providers rated by Moody's was 5.2% in 2014, while expenses grew at a slower 4.6%. The report from Standard & Poor's found that operating margins increased to 2.7% in 2014 compared with the prior year's 2.1%. Margins were higher for health systems, at 2.9%, than stand-alone hospitals, at 2.4%. S&P analysts said they expect the trend to continue through 2015.
The American Board of Anesthesiology said it will retool its process for assessing physicians' competency. The new program, called MOCA 2.0, will evaluate physicians periodically instead of every 10 years, which some physicians said interrupted their clinical practice as they prepared for it. The changes are also meant to evaluate retention of knowledge, as questions about the same topic will be rephrased and repeatedly asked. The new program begins in January.
