Government: Page 2
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CMS finalizes 2024 Medicare hospital, doctor payments, 340B fix and price transparency requirements
Regulators finalized a number of rules Thursday with sweeping implications for providers in the Medicare program, including rates for next year that doctors and hospitals slammed as insufficient.
By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 3, 2023 -
AHA, hospitals sue Biden administration to stop restrictions on website tracking tech
The lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges the agency overstepped when issuing guidance seeking to limit hospitals’ use of third-party tracking technologies.
By Susanna Vogel • Nov. 3, 2023 -
Explore the Trendlineâž”
9dreamstudio via Getty ImagesTrendlineSurprise Billing
Federal legislation banning surprise bills has hit a barrage of roadblocks, complicating efforts to protect consumers from unexpected out-of-network charges.
By Healthcare Dive staff -
North Carolina AG threatens lawsuit against HCA
The massive for-profit operator has allegedly shuttered services at Mission Health, the hospital system it acquired in 2019, violating the terms of its purchase agreement.
By Susanna Vogel • Nov. 2, 2023 -
White House orders HHS to collect reports on healthcare AI safety
President Joe Biden outlined the planned program as part of an executive order on “safe, secure, and trustworthy” artificial intelligence.
By Nick Paul Taylor • Nov. 1, 2023 -
HHS announces first ransomware settlement
Doctors’ Management Services agreed to settle claims it did not comply with HIPAA breach rules and failed to identify risks after a cyberattack exposed the information of more than 200,000 patients.
By Susanna Vogel • Nov. 1, 2023 -
Tracker
Tracking healthcare data breaches
A breach at a New York-based imaging center may have exposed the personal information of more than 600,000 people.
By Emily Olsen , Susanna Vogel • Updated Dec. 5, 2023 -
Biden administration overhauls surprise billing resolution process amid controversy
Regulators proposed a rule on Friday meant to make payment dispute resolutions more fair and efficient following more than a year of industry complaints.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 30, 2023 -
Guidance change threatens hospital 340B drug discounts
The Health Resources and Services Administration is once again requiring hospitals to register outpatient clinics and list them on Medicare cost reports, setting a higher bar for eligibility in the drug discount program.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 27, 2023 -
Defunct direct contracting model saved Medicare $372M last year
Value-based primary care chains for seniors operated by major retail health players did particularly well, with Amazon’s Iora, CVS’ Oak Street and Walgreens’ VillageMD all notching high net savings.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 25, 2023 -
Calling healthcare burnout a crisis is an ‘understatement,’ CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sounding the alarm on increasing levels of burnout and harassment in the healthcare industry.
By Susanna Vogel • Oct. 25, 2023 -
Retrieved from Crozer Health.
Prospect Medical Holdings clear to seek buyer for Crozer Health
The private equity firm has nine months to find a buyer for its struggling four-hospital health system under an agreement announced by the Pennsylvania attorney general last week.
By Susanna Vogel • Oct. 24, 2023 -
2.3M people would gain coverage if 10 remaining states expanded Medicaid, report finds
Black people, young adults and women, especially those of reproductive age, would see the biggest coverage gains, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 24, 2023 -
Amwell, Leidos score defense contract worth up to $180M
Analysts predict the contract could be worth up to $54 million for Amwell alone over its 22-month term.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 20, 2023 -
Senators urge CMS to withhold staffing mandate, citing negative impact on veteran care
Members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee urged the CMS to rescind or revise its staffing proposal for nursing facilities on Thursday, warning the rules could cause facilities to close.
By Susanna Vogel • Oct. 19, 2023 -
FDA prioritizes guidance on AI, cybersecurity, pulse oximeters in stacked schedule for 2024
The administration is ramping up production of medtech guidance, adding 18 draft documents to the list of priorities for the upcoming financial year.
By Nick Paul Taylor • Oct. 19, 2023 -
California sets $25 per hour minimum wage for healthcare workers
The law, backed by healthcare unions, is expected to affect approximately 469,000 healthcare workers and will be phased in over the next several years.
By Susanna Vogel • Oct. 16, 2023 -
Share of MA, Part D plans earning top star ratings drops in 2024
About 42% of Medicare Advantage plans that offer prescription drug coverage in 2024 earned four or more stars, compared with just over half this year.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 13, 2023 -
Sanders criticizes nonprofit hospitals for not providing enough charity care
The report from the Chair of the Senate HELP Committee calls for more federal oversight into nonprofit hospitals' charity care, accusing the systems of providing "paltry amounts" of charity care
By Sydney Halleman • Oct. 12, 2023 -
DEA temporarily extends telehealth prescribing rules for controlled substances again
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the HHS announced they would extend pandemic-era flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances virtually through the end of 2024.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 9, 2023 -
Aetna may have received $25.5M in MA overpayments for 2015 and 2016, audit finds
Medical records provided by the insurer didn’t support certain diagnosis codes, resulting in overpayments, according to an audit from the HHS Office of the Inspector General.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 6, 2023 -
Warren, Jayapal call for closer scrutiny of UnitedHealth-Amedisys deal
The progressive lawmakers sent a letter Tuesday to top antitrust regulators urging heightened attention to the $3.3 billion transaction, which is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 4, 2023 -
AHA urges lawmakers to roll back online tracking tech restrictions
The hospital lobby argued recent guidance limiting third-party tracking technology prevents providers from sharing reliable healthcare information.
By Emily Olsen • Oct. 2, 2023 -
Cigna pays $172M to settle MA upcoding allegations
The agreement settles a whistleblower lawsuit against Cigna that the Department of Justice joined last year, and requires the payer to undergo annual auditing from an independent entity.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 2, 2023 -
CMMI increased federal spending by $5.4B during its first decade, report finds
The Congressional Budget Office report estimated the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which was created in part to reduce spending, will increase net federal spending by $1.3 billion from 2021 through 2030.
By Emily Olsen • Sept. 29, 2023 -
Congressional Democrats open investigation into Medicaid MCOs over claims denials
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., sent letters requesting information on coverage denials to seven payers, including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Centene.
By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 29, 2023