The Latest from Vital Signs: Rising Healthcare Costs, Telehealth Flexibilities, and Tips for Reducing No-show Rates

Vital Signs is a monthly newsletter from AdvancedMD highlighting the healthcare industry’s top trends and insights. It’s our way of helping you stay informed.

Last month, we learned from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) that practice leaders are prioritizing automation initiatives and process fixes this year. A report published by The Center for Economic and Policy Research offered insights into rising healthcare costs, and Physicians Practice shared tips for reducing no-show rates. Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine and the University of Michigan Medical School published a report that underscores just how important telehealth services are for older patients managing chronic conditions.

Here’s a recap of everything we learned:

• Nearly 60% of medical group leaders surveyed by MGMA say that automation or process fixes will be their top cost-cutting move this year. According to MGMA Senior Editorial Manager Chris Harrop, survey respondents said that they plan to automate revenue cycle management, clinical documentation, scheduling, contact center, and front-desk tasks as primary cost‑cutting initiatives in 2026.

• A report from The Center for Economic and Policy Research analyzing healthcare costs by income levels and geography revealed working families paid nearly $4,000 on out-of-pocket healthcare costs in 2024. “Healthcare costs are often discussed in abstract terms,” writes Medical Economics Managing Editor Todd Shryock. “But in the exam room, cost shows up in much more tangible ways.”

• To help primary care providers guide patients through a cancer diagnosis, Medical Economics shared a comprehensive list of tips, starting with: “Time the conversation thoughtfully: If you are calling to deliver the diagnosis, ensure the patient is not driving and, preferably, not alone.”

• According to a recent report from The Milbank Memorial Fund, The Physicians Foundation and the Robert Graham Center, primary care groups are the “best positioned” specialties to lead the shift toward preventing chronic disease.

• Key Medicare telehealth flexibilities were extended through the end of 2026, but the flexibilities are not permanent. To help providers stay on top of telehealth policies, Medical Economics released a guide explaining what’s changed, what’s staying in place, what to document, and what to watch out for in 2028.

• Another MGMA survey found that 50% of medical group leaders report their practices do not have AI governance policies in place. “A workable approach for practices is to govern AI the way you govern clinical risk: categorize, set thresholds, require evidence, and monitor,” writes MGMA Senior Managing Editor Chris Harrop.

• Physicians Practice offered a helpful guide for reducing no-shows without having to add more work or more staff, emphasizing that, “Before you can reduce no-shows, you have to agree on what you’re measuring.” The guide covers everything from when to send reminders to best practices for implementing no-show fees.

• Millions of older adults use telehealth to manage routine chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a study from researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and the University of Michigan Medical School. One of the study’s authors told Medical Economics, “We were surprised at the number of non-mental health conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes, that were commonly addressed through telehealth.”

Vital Signs is brought to you by AdvancedMD. It’s our way of helping you stay informed on the trends and insights that shape our industry. Each month, we publish a roundup of healthcare headlines so that you are in-the-know when it comes to the topics that matter most to you, your staff, and your patients.