Government: Page 149
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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 Shannon Muchmore • 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 Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 13, 2017 -
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 Meg Bryant • Sept. 12, 2017 -
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 Meg Bryant • 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 Meg Bryant • Sept. 8, 2017 -
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 -
FDA finalizes guidance on medical device interoperability
The guidance includes considerations for designing interoperable devices and recommendations on premarket submissions and labeling.
By Meg Bryant • Sept. 7, 2017 -
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 Meg Bryant • Sept. 7, 2017 -
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 Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 6, 2017 -
Study: Concentrated insurer markets lead to lower hospital, physician prices
The lower prices did not result in reduced costs for members, however.
By Les Masterson • Sept. 6, 2017 -
Deep Dive
Independent Payment Advisory Board still in Congress' crosshairs
Medicare spending hasn't yet reached the level to activate IPAB, which ACA opponents mischaracterized as a "death panel." Most of the healthcare industry supports stopping it before it starts.
By Les Masterson • Sept. 5, 2017 -
Bipartisan group of governors release ACA market stabilization plan
The plan, which encourages more consumer participation in ACA marketplaces, comes as HHS announced a dramatic 90% cut to the ACA advertising budget.
By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 1, 2017 -
More than 3% of ED visits are avoidable, study shows
The authors suggest addressing gaps in the healthcare system to reduce the unnecessary visits, which are most often connected to mental health and dental conditions.
By Les Masterson • Sept. 1, 2017 -
Health IT groups seek clarification on information blocking
More than a dozen organizations signed a letter asking HHS to further define certain phrases in the provision of the 21st Century Cures Act that prohibits the practice.
By Meg Bryant • Aug. 31, 2017 -
Government report says ACOs in MSSP 'show promise'
Most of the ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program reduced spending and improved care quality, but a few dozen stood out substantially as high performers.
By Shannon Muchmore • Aug. 31, 2017 -
Fitch Ratings: Bundled payment changes a mixed bag for healthcare
The analysis noted hospitals may see reduced operations and compliance costs, but the choice from CMS to cancel or scale-back some bundled models could slow the overall movement toward value-based care.
By Les Masterson • Aug. 31, 2017 -
Percentage of uninsured Americans drops slightly to 8.8%
A government report also shows more people using high-deductible plans, which typically lead to increased out-of-pocket costs.
By Les Masterson • Aug. 30, 2017 -
OIG: CMS not doing enough to protect nursing home patients
The watchdog office found 134 cases of potential abuse or neglect in a one-year period among Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities nationwide.
By Meg Bryant • Aug. 29, 2017 -
Providers, payers adjust to keep services available for Harvey victims
The hurricane has made treatment access for affected communities difficult, if not impossible. Longterm, the storm will also result in a financial hit for the southeast Texas healthcare industry.
By Shannon Muchmore • Aug. 29, 2017 -
California fines Kaiser Permanente again for not providing Medicaid data
The company said it is not appealing the $2.2 million fine and has made significant technology investments to improve its ability to provide the required data.
By Les Masterson • Aug. 29, 2017 -
UnitedHealth to buy Advisory Board's healthcare unit as part of $2.6B deal
Advisory Board started considering a sale of its healthcare business soon after an activist investor acquired an 8.3% stake in the company.
By Shannon Muchmore • Aug. 29, 2017
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