Government: Page 107
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CMS wants to make selling out-of-state insurance easier
Selling insurance across state lines is a policy idea long-championed by conservatives, but hardly adopted in part as it comes with a bevy of consumer protection and antitrust hangups.
By Tony Abraham • March 7, 2019 -
Why 2019 could be 'last easy year' for payers
Major U.S. insurers reported mostly positive quarterly and year-end financial results in the first months of this year, but political pressure and continued provider consolidation loom ahead.
By Shannon Muchmore • March 6, 2019 -
Rural areas hit hardest on unsubsidized ACA plans
In about one in five U.S. counties, a 40-year-old making $50,000 a year spends more than 10% of their income on the cheapest ACA plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
By Les Masterson • March 6, 2019 -
Moms who get surprise bill more likely to switch hospitals for second birth
Patients who chose a different facility had their chances of getting a surprise bill for the second delivery reduced by more than half, according to a Health Affairs report.
By Shannon Muchmore • March 6, 2019 -
Medicare for all (or some), buy in and other universal plans vary widely
Democratic presidential candidates like Sens. Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders support a single-payer system. Sen. Amy Klobuchar backs a more modest Medicaid buy-in proposal.
By Les Masterson • March 5, 2019 -
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to step down in a month
The exit comes as the agency revamps its medical device approval pathways.
By David Lim • Updated March 5, 2019 -
Feedback for lowering healthcare costs focuses on surprise billing, value-based care
The American Medical Group Association suggested methods for decreasing administrative burdens, promoting price transparency and encouraging patient engagement and accountability.
By Les Masterson • March 4, 2019 -
US kidney care getting revamp, HHS officials say
Stocks of multiple dialysis providers plummeted Monday as Trump administration health chiefs previewed changes to kidney care payment models and transplant procedures.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 4, 2019 -
CVS to close retail audiology centers ahead of over-the-counter regulations
FDA has made clear it believes consumers should be able to take a more active role in managing hearing loss.
By David Lim • March 4, 2019 -
Some VA facilities overlooked background info, inappropriately hired providers
A Government Accountability Office report found the Veterans Health Administration was not consistent in how it responded to adverse-action information from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
By Les Masterson • March 1, 2019 -
CMS updates hospital star ratings for the first time since 2017
The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals both decried the quality ratings update, with the AHA calling the program "flawed from the outset."
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 28, 2019 -
With latest Grassley probe, hospitals can expect invitations to talk
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee penned the public letter to exert pressure on the IRS and nonprofit hospitals alike, experts said.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 27, 2019 -
ACA plans denied nearly 1 in 5 in-network claims in 2017
Fewer than 1% of those denials were appealed, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 27, 2019 -
Brian Tucker/Healthcare Dive
Pharma's day in Congress: 'A hearing not a show'
Lawmakers indicated PBMs should be ready for scrutiny as well, with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking member of the Finance Committee, saying they "are going to have their day in front of the committee, too."
By Ned Pagliarulo , Andrew Dunn • Feb. 26, 2019 -
VA offers updated criteria for getting care at outside hospitals
If finalized, the proposal would allow veterans to receive comparable care at non-VA facilities, though some critics fear a slippery slope toward privitization.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 25, 2019 -
ONC's sights trained on interoperability, data security, advisory committee says
Interoperability "remains fragmented and uneven" in the healthcare industry, according to a draft update from ONC's Health Information Technology Advisory Committee.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 22, 2019 -
Partial Medicaid expansion would increase uninsured rate, federal costs
A few states that haven't expanded the program under the ACA, including Utah and Georgia, are looking at partial expansion plans in an attempt to cut costs.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 22, 2019 -
UPMC fires back at state AG, seeks to join BCBS antitrust lawsuit
The flurry of filings taps into big questions over payer competition and underscores tensions between insurance companies and providers as they negotiate contracts, especially in highly concentrated markets.
By Tony Abraham , Samantha Liss • Updated March 19, 2019 -
USDA
1 in 5 rural hospitals at risk of closing, Navigant says
More than 60% of those facilities are "highly essential" to the heath and economic well-being of their communities, according to a new report.
By Meg Bryant • Feb. 21, 2019 -
Hospitals oppose fixed payments in any laws tackling surprise billing
Meanwhile, a new analysis shows that about one in five emergency department visits involve an out-of-network provider and could result in a surprise bill.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 21, 2019 -
Getty / Edited by Healthcare Dive
CHS tops Q4 expectations with revenue boost
The Tennessee chain, which is nearing its divestiture goal, incurred losses from a drop in volume and increased operational costs.
By Tony Abraham • Feb. 21, 2019 -
US healthcare spending growth to hit 5.5% by 2027, CMS predicts
The ballooning American healthcare bill will outstrip growth of the GDP over the next decade, according to an annual government report.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 20, 2019 -
Seniors love Medicare, but are pessimistic about its long-term future
One-third of responders to eHealth's Medicare Consumer Survey said when choosing a plan, an affordable monthly premium is the most important consideration.
By Les Masterson • Feb. 20, 2019 -
Insurers owed CSR payments regardless of silver loading, judges rule
In one of the lawsuits, a judge wrote the payer "should not be left 'holding the bag' for taking our Government at its word."
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 19, 2019 -
DOJ sticking with CVS-Aetna merger pact despite negative public comments
The agreement, which required Aetna to divest all of its Medicare Part D business, "fully addresses the competitive threat posed by the merger," the department said.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 19, 2019
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