Government: Page 2


  • The HHS in DC
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    Alex Wong / Staff via Getty Images
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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 Nov. 3, 2023
  • Close up shiny wooden law gavel in dark brown color on top of a wooden table in an office.
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    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 Nov. 3, 2023
  • Stethoscope on bill statement. Explore the Trendlineâž”
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    9dreamstudio via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Surprise 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
  • An image of a gavel and stethoscope.
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    Moussa81 via Getty Images
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    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 Nov. 2, 2023
  • President Joe Biden signs a piece of paper while seated.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    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
  • A single opened padlock glows red among rows of closed blue padlocks.
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    JuSun via Getty Images
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    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 Nov. 1, 2023
  • Patients wait to check-in at a line of kiosks to get vaccinated.
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    Sergio Flores/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    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 , Updated Dec. 5, 2023
  • Stethoscope lying on top of dollar bills
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    Sensay via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 30, 2023
  • A piggy bank rests near a stethoscope.
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    marchmeena29 via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 27, 2023
  • A picture of the exterior of the US Department of Health and Human Services. In front of the building is a black sign designating the building's name.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 25, 2023
  • Illustration of health care workers working, with one in foreground fatigued.
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    Adeline Kon/Healthcare Dive
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    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 Oct. 25, 2023
  • Delaware County Memorial Hospital
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    Retrieved from Crozer Health.
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    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 Oct. 24, 2023
  • a medicaid insurance card on top of a small American flag
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    Kameleon007 via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 24, 2023
  • Amwell physician conducts visit with patient
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    Courtesy of Amwell
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    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 Oct. 20, 2023
  • Doctor tending to elderly patient
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    Shutterstock/fizkes

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    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 Oct. 19, 2023
  • Artificial intelligence in healthcare
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    ArtemisDiana via Getty Images
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    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
  • A graphic with a green background indicating pay is on the rise
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    Baris-Ozer via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 16, 2023
  • Medicare enrollment form and money.
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    iStock via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 13, 2023
  • Bernie Sanders listens to testimony during a Senate HELP committee hearing
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    Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 12, 2023
  • A cropped picture of a person sitting on their computer with a laptop.
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    vgajic via Getty Images
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    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 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 Oct. 6, 2023
  • UnitedHealth Group office
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    Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group
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    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 Oct. 4, 2023
  • A businessperson protects data on their laptop
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    kelvn via Getty Images
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    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 Oct. 2, 2023
  • A Cigna logo behind a construction fence.
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    Matt Slocum/AP

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    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 Oct. 2, 2023
  • A birds-eye picture of a stethoscope and piggy bank against a blue background
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    erdikocak via Getty Images
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    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 Sept. 29, 2023
  • a medicaid insurance card on top of a small American flag
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    Kameleon007 via Getty Images
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    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 Sept. 29, 2023