Reimbursement Environment (Part III of V) The U.S. government is the largest payor of medical costs, through Medicare and Medicaid, and has a strong influence on healthcare reimbursement. In 2017, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for an estimated $705.9 billion and $581.9 billion in healthcare spending, respectively. The prevalence of these public payors in the healthcare marketplace often results in their a ...

Consumer Spending Returns to Growth in U.S. Core U.S. retail sales grew 0.6% in January, reversing a 0.3% decline in December, the Commerce Department said.  Also, a University of Michigan survey found that consumers are generally optimistic and say their purchasing power will benefit from low inflation.  Harriet Torry, The Wall Street Journal, explains. To read the full article in The Wall Street Journal, ...

The U.S. likely will fall back into recession if scheduled spending cuts take effect and Bush-era tax cuts are allowed to expire this year, the Congressional Budget Office said. If the U.S. falls off this "fiscal cliff," the economy will probably contract 1.3% in the first half of 2013, the CBO said.  CNN Financial Times / Alphaville New York Times NPR Reuters USA Today Wall Street Journal Yahoo! Finance ...