Government: Page 104
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California county pushes ahead with purchase of Verity hospitals despite AG opposition
Verity filed for bankruptcy in August. Last month, a judge denied California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's petition to block the sale of the two hospitals, citing lack of standing.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 14, 2019 -
HIMSS19: Grassley presses CMS on recovery of improper EHR incentive payments
CMS Administrator Seema Verma told Healthcare Dive she continues to monitor efforts to recover the improper payments, but noted they occurred prior to President Donald Trump taking office.
By David Lim • Feb. 13, 2019 -
Trendline
Labor
Hospitals are navigating persistent labor shortages with the need to cut costs — a source of contention that could leave patients caught in the middle.
By Healthcare Dive staff -
Deep Dive
HIMSS19: Private sector catch-up, patient matching and standard APIs dominate first full day
Support for the HHS rules (but some concern over implementation) was the focus at the start of health IT's biggest week.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 13, 2019 -
HIMSS19: Verma touts Blue Button 2.0 apps, though uptake still low
Only a few thousand Medicare beneficiaries have elected to share their claims data with production developers, the CMS administrator said.
By David Lim • Feb. 13, 2019 -
HIMSS19: New API coming for Medicare ACOs
The application programming interface builds off Medicare fee-for-service's API, Blue Button 2.0, but is much wider in scope.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 13, 2019 -
Provider groups wary of major changes to HIPAA
In response to an HHS request for information, AHA, AMA and others urged maintaining the status quo when it comes to potential amendments to the privacy law to better accommodate for value-based payment models.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 13, 2019 -
Elizabeth Regan/Healthcare Dive
Regeneron, Sanofi cut PCSK9 list price, matching earlier move by rival Amgen
The drugmakers will soon make Praluent available for 60% less than the cholesterol drug's original price, a rare move reflective of ongoing commercial challenges.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 13, 2019 -
Opinion
Thought leadership: The time is now in healthcare
Thought leadership around health policy, access to care and public health issues is a proven way to differentiate and advocate for a brand, according to healthcare communications professionals Donna Arbogast and Nancy Hicks.
By Donna Arbogast, Nancy Hicks • Feb. 11, 2019 -
Data blocking, standard APIs targeted in long-awaited EHR rules
The AHA is pushing back against a proposal that electronic event notification be required to take part in Medicare and Medicaid.
By Rebecca Pifer • Updated Feb. 12, 2019 -
Republicans eye modest Medicaid expansion
The safety net program is growing in popularity, leaving some GOP politicians to juggle the pros and cons of expanding it to more low-income Americans.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 10, 2019 -
Doctors doubt pharma costs, access to drugs will improve this year
Physicians have ranked affordability and improved access as the top pharma priorities for the past four years in InCrowd surveys.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 8, 2019 -
State AG targets nonprofit UPMC for 'corporate greed'
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro lambasted the health system for refusing new state terms that explicitly require it to accept rival Highmark's members, and asked a state court to intervene.
By Tony Abraham • Feb. 8, 2019 -
Deep Dive
Hospital lobby ramps up 'Medicare for all' opposition
As more Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace the idea, health systems and providers have picked up lobbying efforts arguing it would shutter hospitals.
By Tony Abraham • Feb. 8, 2019 -
Health information exchange participation reduced readmissions in heart attack patients, study finds
The Florida report suggests HIEs could be deployed to enhance quality measures in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 7, 2019 -
Healthcare task force calls for AI policies to align with real-world workflow
Policy frameworks should address research and design, quality, access, affordability and other critical issues, according to the Connected Health Initiative's Health AI Task Force.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 7, 2019 -
Deep Dive
With CMS depression device on the line, analysts eye multibillion potential market
The government insurer may cover a clinical trial of LivaNova's vagus nerve stimulation in some cases as a last resort for severe depression. At the same time, some patients are turning to less invasive tech-driven therapies.
By Maria Rachal • Feb. 7, 2019 -
Employer plans contributed most to growth in underinsured
Long-term uninsured rates have also dropped, from 72% of people going without coverage for more than two years in 2010 to 54% in 2018, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 7, 2019 -
AHA roadmap to rescue rural hospitals calls for regulatory relief, new payment models
Other priorities include updating Medicare and Medicaid payment rates to cover costs of care and expanding access to telehealth, according to a new report from the hospital group.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 5, 2019 -
Providence St. Joseph launches for-profit population health management company
The new company, called Ayin, will provide capabilities like a pharmacy benefits management program that partners pharmacists and physicians in a coordinated care model and a risk evaluation tool.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 5, 2019 -
Hospital prices, not physicians, drive cost growth, Health Affairs says
The report suggests measures aimed at cutting healthcare costs focus on issues like antitrust enforcement and incentivizing more cost-efficient physician referrals.
By Shannon Muchmore • Updated Feb. 5, 2019 -
Judge tosses Maryland lawsuit seeking to shield ACA
Meanwhile, four more states are seeking to join an appeal defending the Affordable Care Act after a Texas judge declared it unconstitutional in December.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 4, 2019 -
Deep Dive
Clinical lab lobbying spikes as PAMA cuts kick into effect
Paralleling CMS payment cuts that took effect at the start of last year, lobbying by Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp and the American Clinical Laboratory Association jumped to $4.4 million, up from $2.5 million in 2017.
By David Lim • Feb. 4, 2019 -
Opinion
Changing how we pay for healthcare to promote high-quality care, eliminate waste
The fee-for-service model needs an overhaul to best serve patients, argue Suzanne Delbanco, Maclaine Lehan and Roslyn Murray of the nonprofit Catalyst for Payment Reform.
By Suzanne Delbanco, Maclaine Lehan, Roslyn Murray • Feb. 4, 2019 -
Payers balk at HHS proposal to end federal PBM rebates
America's Health Insurance Plans criticized the administration's decision as "well-intentioned but misguided." The payer lobby insisted that rebate savings go directly to consumers, saving them on premiums and cost-sharing.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 1, 2019 -
States ill-equipped to oversee short-term plans
Officials worry consumers won't be fully informed about what they're purchasing after researching short-term plans, according to a study from the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 1, 2019
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