Government: Page 28
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Lawmakers promise to stop kicking the can on Medicare solvency
The House Budget Committee met Thursday and said they’d take action to restore Medicare’s financial footing, though the hearing was light on specifics.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 14, 2024 -
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CMMI’s savings record sparks concern among lawmakers
Republicans at a House subcommittee hearing chided the innovation center for increasing federal spending, even as CMMI’s director said each tested model has resulted in valuable learnings.
By Emily Olsen • June 14, 2024 -
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CMS recalculates Medicare Advantage star ratings in major win for insurers
The redo comes after regulators lost two court cases over the methodology used to determine 2024’s quality ratings and should result in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional bonuses to plans.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 14, 2024 -
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Proposed rule would wipe medical debt from credit scores
The vice president also called for states to increase oversight of their nonprofit health systems’ charity care programs, noting some patients incurred debt when they should have qualified for assistance.
By Susanna Vogel • June 13, 2024 -
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Q&AComplex environments, 24/7 availability: Why cybersecurity poses a unique challenge for hospitals
Andrew Carney from HHS agency ARPA-H explains why hospitals struggle with cybersecurity and talks about a new program that aims to help them defend their technology environments.
By Emily Olsen • June 13, 2024 -
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Overturning of Roe v. WadeSupreme Court preserves access to abortion pill in unanimous ruling
The high court said the plaintiffs’ “desire to make a drug less available to others” did not give them standing to challenge the FDA's approval of mifepristone.
By Delilah Alvarado • June 13, 2024 -
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National health spending reached $4.8T last year, CMS actuaries estimate
More Americans had insurance in 2023 than at any other time in the nation’s history, spurring medical utilization and accelerating healthcare spending faster than growth in the overall economy, according to government projections.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 12, 2024 -
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MACPAC wants Congress to force states to disclose Medicaid financing streams
The influential advisory group has been lobbying the federal government to collect more detailed information on how states loop providers into funding Medicaid for almost a decade.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 12, 2024 -
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White House partners with Microsoft, Google on cybersecurity for rural hospitals
The technology giants will offer free or low-cost cybersecurity tools to rural hospitals, which often have limited resources to combat the rising number of cyberattacks.
By Emily Olsen • June 12, 2024 -
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Court strikes down FTC’s latest attempt to block Novant-CHS deal
This is the second time a district court has shot down the antitrust agency’s request to stop the deal.
By Susanna Vogel • June 12, 2024 -
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Elevance wins star ratings lawsuit (sort of)
Friday’s district court ruling is the latest suggesting the CMS might have to recalculate every MA plan’s star rating score due to an administrative oversight.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 11, 2024 -
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Prospect files suit demanding Yale New Haven purchase its three Connecticut hospitals
The health systems have been at odds over the deal, which was first announced in 2022.
By Susanna Vogel • June 10, 2024 -
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Walgreens-backed CityMD settles with Justice Department over alleged COVID fraud
From 2020 to 2022, CityMD falsely documented insured patients as uninsured before fraudulently billing the federal government for their COVID-19 care, according to regulators. CityMD denies the allegations.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 10, 2024 -
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Affordable Care Act insurers could be on the hook for $1.1B in rebates this year
Rebates this year could cross the billion-dollar mark for the fifth time in the past decade, according to an analysis from the KFF.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 7, 2024 -
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FTC cannot block $320M Novant, CHS deal
A federal court struck a blow to antitrust regulators on Wednesday when it ruled that Novant’s purchase of two hospitals from CHS could go through, arguing the deal seems likely to promote competition in North Carolina.
By Susanna Vogel • June 6, 2024 -
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Wyden urges HHS to require healthcare cybersecurity standards
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the agency’s approach to cybersecurity is inadequate and advocated for mandatory resiliency standards, periodic audits and technical support for providers.
By Emily Olsen • June 5, 2024 -
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Under the watch of the attorney general, Northwell overhauls charity care policy
New York's largest health system will expand its financial assistance policies following a review from the state attorney general.
By Susanna Vogel • June 5, 2024 -
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House subcommittee lands on transparency for 340B reform
Based on the Oversight and Investigations hearing, political will in Congress seems slim to cut back the 340B program — without a clearer view of how hospitals are using the funds first.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 5, 2024 -
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Scan Health Plan wins Medicare Advantage star ratings lawsuit
The insurer argued the CMS didn’t follow its stated methodology for calculating quality scores, causing its rating to drop and risking millions of dollars in payments.
By Emily Olsen • June 4, 2024 -
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Tracking Steward's decline‘We’re always running out of money’: Steward seeks new DIP financier ahead of June 14 to keep operations afloat
Attorneys for the Dallas-based health system said Steward isn’t interested in another quick-fix loan. This time, Steward wants $225 million to carry it through the Chapter 11 process.
By Susanna Vogel • June 4, 2024 -
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State healthcare cost caps could further pressure hospital operating margins: report
Policies in several states have limited provider rates and levels of reimbursement, as well as constrained operating flexibility, according to Fitch Ratings.
By Susanna Vogel • June 4, 2024 -
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Change Healthcare cyberattackHHS says providers can tap Change to issue data breach notifications after cyberattack
The update is a win for provider groups who have urged the agency to clarify which organizations need to report a data breach and notify patients after the cyberattack.
By Emily Olsen • June 3, 2024 -
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Medicare Advantage sales middleman sues HHS over rule capping broker compensation
AmeriLife’s suit joins at least two others from MA sales groups seeking revisions to the rule for threatening their business model. It also comes with a clock, given a looming deadline for marketing contract negotiations.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 3, 2024 -
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Move over, Medicare Advantage — UnitedHealth, Centene flag higher Medicaid utilization concerns
Worries about higher-than-expected medical spending have reached Medicaid, as redeterminations spark turbulence in the program.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 30, 2024 -
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Minnesota’s Medicaid program to block for-profit insurers from participation
The ban initially only affects UnitedHealthcare, which is the sole for-profit managed care organization with a Medicaid contract in the state.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 29, 2024
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