Government: Page 141


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    Last-ditch ACA repeal effort set for vote next week

    Industry groups fiercely oppose the bill, which makes fundamental changes to how health insurance is funded and could result in about 30 million people losing coverage.

    By Sept. 21, 2017
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    CMS seeks 'new direction' for innovation center

    CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the agency wants to "move away from the assumption that Washington can engineer a more efficient healthcare system."

    By Sept. 21, 2017
  • 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
  • Consumers, physicians blame rising healthcare costs on insurers, drug companies

    Survey respondents said two ways to reduce health spending is forcing those with poor health habits to pay more for their healthcare and to allow affordable catastrophic health insurance plans with limited benefits.  

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 20, 2017
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    Employer-based health insurance plan rates see 'modest increases' in 2017

    While premiums aren't increasing as they were a decade ago, individuals are facing high deductibles. 

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 19, 2017
  • Study: Benefits of early childhood access to Medicaid extend for generations

    Researchers found that a 10% increase in prenatal Medicaid eligibility can have long-term effects.

    By Sept. 19, 2017
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    Insurers limiting access to safer pain medications because of cost

    In response to news reports on the issue, the National Association of Attorneys General asked America’s Health Insurance Plans to work with its members to create better policies.  

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 18, 2017
  • Study: ACA market stabilization plan would reduce premiums, increase enrollment

    A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working on legislation that includes cost-sharing reduction payments and a reinsurance package, but their talks could get crowded out by a last-chance shot at ACA repeal.

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 18, 2017
  • AHA questions MedPAC report on new post-acute payment system

    The organization is concerned the model proposed by MedPAC contains fundamental problems that make it "unworkable as a foundation” for developing the new payment method.

    By Sept. 18, 2017
  • Kaiser Permanente, Target opening 31 more in-store clinics in southern California

    The expanding partnership is part of a growing trend to bring healthcare to consumers and away from hospitals, emergency rooms and overbooked primary care physician offices.

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 18, 2017
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    Deep Dive

    What will be the fallout from Anthem's new imaging policy?

    With payers looking to force more services to lower-cost settings, hospitals have to react to losing some of their main profit sources.

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 18, 2017
  • Analysis makes case for dispute resolution in network adequacy regulation

    Policy experts from Brookings and USC recommend a layered approach to ensuring a provider network isn't too limited, including combining qualitative and quantitative standards with external dispute resolution.

    By Sept. 15, 2017
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    CBO: ACA markets to see premium increases, stunted enrollment

    The agency said scaled back outreach is a factor in its predictions. HHS has slashed funding for promotion of the ACA, including an overall budget cut of 90% and cuts of up to 98% for navigator groups.

    By Sept. 15, 2017
  • Senators offer polar opposite plans for changing healthcare system

    Some Republicans aren't giving up on repealing the ACA. Across the aisle, Democrats are embracing a single-payer plan.

    By Sept. 14, 2017
  • Healthcare industry split on CMS' proposal to allow inpatient joint replacement surgeries

    Providers at hospitals, which would see less revenue under the plan, say moving those procedures to outpatient settings would threaten patient safety.

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 14, 2017
  • Hospital groups oppose 340B cuts, site neutral payments in comments to CMS

    The AHA suggested CMS suspend the star ratings program and electronic clinical quality measure reporting requirements as well as cancel Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use program.

    By Sept. 13, 2017
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    Census shows uninsured rate drops to new record low

    Medicare was the only health insurance subtype that saw a “statistically significant difference” between 2015 and 2016. 

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 13, 2017
  • Deep Dive

    Reading the tea leaves in a hospital's loss of tax-exempt status

    News that a hospital lost its status earlier this year "may certainly send some chills down the spines of some hospital managers,” says Gary Young, a health policy expert at Northeastern University in Boston.

    By Sept. 12, 2017
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    Telehealth could lure more providers to ACOs

    At a recent MedPAC meeting, members noted Medicare telehealth payments are increasing, but usage is low overall and dominated by a small number of providers and beneficiaries.

    By Sept. 12, 2017
  • CBO: Medicare spending has slowed this fiscal year

    The agency also reported that subsidies paid to health insurance companies through the ACA marketplace rose by 25%.  

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 11, 2017
  • Major industry groups, state officials push Congress for CSR payments

    A lack of commitment to cost-sharing reduction payments has led to more payers pulling out of exchange markets and requesting large premium increases for 2018.

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 11, 2017
  • CareFirst can take data breach case to Supreme Court

    If the high court accepts the case, it will be its first on data breach issues.

    By Sept. 8, 2017
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    Altarum: Hospital spending growth rate lowest in 28 years

    Year-over-year hospital spending increased 1.1% in July, which was the slowest growth in any major healthcare category.  

    By Les Masterson • Sept. 8, 2017
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    FDA finalizes guidance on medical device interoperability

    The guidance includes considerations for designing interoperable devices and recommendations on premarket submissions and labeling.

    By Sept. 7, 2017
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    Coalition issues final guidelines on CDS software design

    The 21st Century Cures Act removes clinical decision support tools and certain other categories of software from FDA regulation.

    By Sept. 7, 2017
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    Deep Dive

    Why scaling back bundled payment programs won't stop the shift to alternative models

    Big changes to CMS' bundled payment programs could have immediate and long-term effects, but value-based care remains a bipartisan movement that won't be easily stopped.

    By Sept. 6, 2017