Policy & Regulation

Medicare members using telehealth grew 120 times in early weeks of COVID-19 as regulations eased

CMS head Seema Verma said her department is evaluating the telehealth waivers to determine if they should be extended past the scope of the national emergency, and is in the process of additional rulemaking around the issue.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 27, 2020

COVID-19 has forced nearly half of patients to postpone care

About a third of those who have put off treatment said they would seek it in the next three months, and 10% said they will do so in four months to a year, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 27, 2020

Deep Dive

Here's how much for-profit hospitals have received in COVID-19 bailout funding so far

The nation's largest for-profit hospital chains have received about $2.2 billion​, money they don't have to pay back. Healthcare Dive is tracking how much major health systems have collected in federal relief.

By Samantha Liss • May 26, 2020

Over 1,750 Part D, MA plans applied for new CMS insulin model

Payers cheered the effort to lower insulin costs and drugmakers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi have said they plan to participate. But powerful lobby PhRMA pushed back against the model.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 26, 2020

What hospitals are doing to make patients feel comfortable coming back

Health systems face worried patients, according to recent polls. But volumes are picking back up in states where restrictions have been lifted.

By Hailey Mensik • May 22, 2020

MA, Part D final rule gives more star ratings weight to patient experience

The rule also attempts to let more MA plans comply with network adequacy standards by reducing the percentage of rural beneficiaries that must reside within maximum time and distance areas.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 22, 2020

PAs gain authority during COVID-19 pandemic, but still face layoffs, furloughs

Over the past few months, 21 states have taken action — eight through executive orders — to waive practice requirements for physician assistants. But the financial strain on health systems has also led to job cuts.

By Hailey Mensik • May 20, 2020

Despite $33M in approvals, FCC has sent just 1 provider CARES telehealth funds

"We expect the number of invoices to increase steadily as more funding continues to be approved," an FCC spokesperson told Healthcare Dive.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 20, 2020

States brace for 'nearly certain' Medicaid budget shortfalls amid COVID-19

The Kaiser Family Foundation survey comes as the House passed a $3 trillion legislative relief package Friday, which would further bump the federal match rate for Medicaid.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 18, 2020

ACOs ask Trump admin for more help to cope with coronavirus

Nine organizations, including NAACOs and AMA, want CMS to shelter them from financial losses in exchange for lower shared savings as well as push back some key deadlines.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 15, 2020

House Dems carve out $100B for providers in latest attempt at COVID-19 relief package

The $3 trillion bill, which passed the House on Friday, is the Democrats' opening gambit for the next wave of congressional action, but Republicans and President Donald Trump say they're not in a hurry to approve new funding.

By Susan Kelly • UPDATED: May 18, 2020 at 10:36 a.m.

Pushback against transparency, patient data plans in ONC's roadmap

Insurers and providers don't want negotiated rates made public while EHR vendors want to avoid federal "micromanagement," among other asks during the public comment period on the five-year federal health IT plan.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 12, 2020

As Trump pushes states to reopen, Fauci warns against lifting COVID-19 restrictions too soon

The U.S. doesn't have the necessary testing and surveillance infrastructure in place for a fall resurgence of the novel coronavirus, a second wave that's "entirely conceivable and possible," the pandemic response leader said.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 12, 2020

Hospitals balk as CMS doubles down on price transparency

In the draft of the Medicare payment rule posted Monday, the agency also proposed raising the rate for inpatient hospital services by about 1.6% in 2021, which would amount to nearly $2.1 billion.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 12, 2020

Healthcare sector lost stunning 1.4M jobs in April

The bulk of jobs shed were concentrated in ambulatory services, which lost more than 1 million jobs, presumably due to the widespread cancellation of elective procedures during the pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • May 11, 2020

Trump administration: states to decide which hospitals get Gilead's COVID-19 drug

Remdesivir was cleared for FDA emergency use May 1 but hospitals and physicians were in the dark over how it would be distributed across the country, sparking frustration over the lack of transparency. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 11, 2020

Hospitals tell court price transparency laws violate 1st Amendment

Thursday's hearing was the first step in what's likely to be a drawn out legal fight. Negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers have long been private, and hospitals want to keep it that way. 

By Hailey Mensik • May 07, 2020

Trump reiterates support to kill ACA — despite pandemic — as House, states file briefs with SCOTUS

"We want to terminate healthcare under Obamacare and replace it," the president told the White House press pool on Wednesday. Estimates say that could throw some 20 million Americans off insurance.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 06, 2020

A coronavirus vaccine may arrive next year. 'Herd immunity' will take longer.

Experimental vaccines for COVID-19 are moving at an unprecedented pace. But that could mean researchers won't definitively know whether they're safe and effective when they do arrive.

By Jonathan Gardner • May 05, 2020

Paying private insurers Medicare rates would tank hospital revenue by 35%, study finds

Policy action is needed to lower out-of-control healthcare prices, Health Affairs researchers determined, but any moves from Washington to tie reimbursement to Medicare rates could send hospital revenues flatlining.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 05, 2020

FDA beefs up coronavirus antibody test regs that critics called 'recipe for disaster'

The Association of Public Health Laboratories praised the move. "This revised policy makes a lot of sense and should have been in place over the last six weeks," the group's CEO Scott Becker said.

By Greg Slabodkin • May 05, 2020

Gilead's remdesivir, shown to hasten COVID-19 recovery, cleared for emergency use by FDA

In a remarkably rapid turn, the FDA authorized the antiviral drug two days after positive results were announced from a closely watched government-run clinical trial.

By Ned Pagliarulo • UPDATED: May 1, 2020 at 5:03 p.m.

7 states team up to buy $5B in medical equipment, supplies for COVID-19

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are aiming to use their combined purchasing power to drive down prices for in-demand items like ventilators and PPE.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 04, 2020

Ventilator sharing critical to save COVID-19 patient lives, Health Affairs paper says

Without a coordinated federal effort to promote the exchange of the breathing assist machines, thousands more Americans will die in the coming weeks as the virus continues its rampage across the U.S., the paper warns.

By Susan Kelly • May 04, 2020

Hospital, nursing groups join forces to lobby Congress for more COVID-19 funding

The groups requested funding to cover the cost of child care for nurses, physicians and other hospital staff as well as housing and transportation support, enhanced pay and free, regular COVID-19 testing.

By Ron Shinkman • May 04, 2020