Medicare will now cover telehealth to fight coronavirus

It's a move telemedicine companies like Teladoc and American Well have been requesting since well before the outbreak, but the change is scheduled to be in place only for as long as the national emergency is designated.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 17, 2020

Disease management firms set to capitalize on Trump admin interoperability push

A key detail of a rule finalized last week could make it simpler for players like Omada Health, Propeller Health and Livongo to interface with large health system clients.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 17, 2020

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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

Trump administration approves 1st Medicaid waiver to combat coronavirus

Florida was the first state to submit a section 1135 waiver in response to the national emergency, but it's unlikely to be the last as the country grapples with its response to the virus.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 17, 2020

COVID-19 puts unprecedented strain on US health system

Some Providence hospitals are converting operating rooms to intensive care units to prepare for a surge in coronavirus patients as federal officials pleaded with the American public to avoid gathering in groups.

March 17, 2020

As coronavirus threatens hospital capacity, debate swirls around elective procedures

The Senate is expected this week to take up a House-passed relief package that includes a 6.2 percentage point hike to the federal Medicaid matching rate, a move backed by providers.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 16, 2020

Thermo Fisher coronavirus test gets FDA nod

Trump administration officials promised on Sunday that 2,000 labs would be running 1.9 million tests this week. Separately, the American Clinical Laboratory Association expects daily testing capacity to exceed 20,000.

By Maria Rachal • March 16, 2020

CBO says Grassley-Wyden drug bill would save more than $94B in 1st decade

The bill would impose stringent price reporting controls on the pharmaceutical sector as well as continue some significant rebates from drug manufacturers.

By Ron Shinkman • March 16, 2020

Trump declares national emergency, opening up billions for coronavirus

It comes a day after the nation's largest medical organizations urged the president to take the step "to ensure that health care services and sufficient health care items are available to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak."

By Samantha Liss • Updated March 13, 2020

Q&A: ONC chief Don Rucker's thoughts on the final information blocking rule

HHS has been working on a set of rules meant to expand patients' access to their medical information for half a decade. Here's what the U.S. health IT leader thinks of the accomplishment and the roadblocks to getting there.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 13, 2020

MedPAC suggests targeted increase in hospital rates

The commission's annual March report to Congress also showed Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to increase, with a 10% jump from 2018 to 2019.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 13, 2020

Cutting out-of-network hospital payments may save as much as single-payer system

A new study by the Rand think tank concluded that merely curbing out-of-network hospital payments could save well over $100 billion per year.

By Ron Shinkman • March 13, 2020

As US officials shift tone, Trump stops short of 1 provider ask

The president addressed the nation Wednesday night but did not declare a disaster or national emergency, which groups like the American Hospital Association had sought.

By Samantha Liss , Shannon Muchmore • March 12, 2020

CMS launches payment model designed to lower out-of-pocket insulin costs

The new program for Medicare Part D plans would cap insulin copays at $35. Some commercial payers have already made similar moves to lower insulin costs, such as Cigna and Express Scripts.

By Hailey Mensik • March 12, 2020

ECRI: Poor sterilization, failure to learn from device problems threaten patient safety

The 2020 list put together by the nonprofit ECRI Institute also highlights diagnostic errors as a top patient safety concern for a third consecutive year.

By Maria Rachal • March 11, 2020

CMS eases more Medicare restrictions to boost coronavirus treatment access

The actions won't necessarily remove cost barriers for patients. Most payers have not extended the coverage promises to employers' self-insured plans that cover the majority of Americans, and high deductibles persist.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 11, 2020

California accuses healthcare sharing ministry of misleading consumers

States are increasingly cracking down on alternative insurance from healthcare sharing ministries, which aren't required to pay out claims and don't have to cover basic health benefits.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 11, 2020

Payers, providers say interoperability rules threaten patient privacy

HHS officials disagree, however. "When you're in the electronic world, there's always risk," ONC head Don Rucker said. "I think we've put in some powerful protections here."

By Rebecca Pifer • March 10, 2020

Hospitals dipping into emergency stocks to combat coronavirus

While more community spread of COVID-19 is reported daily, hospitals are bracing for a rush of patients and payers are waiving fees for telemedicine consults and extra prescription drug supplies.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 10, 2020

Block-granting Medicaid would cause program funding to plunge, Commonwealth Fund says

The funding caps created by block grants "would require states to cut coverage, reduce benefits, increase cost-sharing, lower provider payment rates" or otherwise reduce expenditures, according to a new report.

By Ron Shinkman • March 9, 2020

Coronavirus spread threatens spring slate of medical meetings

Following the the cancellation of HIMSS, America's Health Insurance Plans and the American College of Healthcare Executives also called off planned events as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 9, 2020

Long-awaited interoperability rules finalized by Trump admin, prompt industry ire

Providers and entrenched health IT interests are unlikely to be happy with the final iterations, which largely mirror the proposed versions. One win: The timeline to come into compliance has been pushed back.

By Rebecca Pifer • Updated March 9, 2020

$8.3B in coronavirus funding set in motion as federal agencies ramp up response

A bill that has now been passed by the House and Senate gives HHS authority to temporarily waive certain Medicare requirements for telehealth services but does not address treatment reimbursement for the uninsured​.

By Shannon Muchmore • Updated March 5, 2020

HIMSS20 has been canceled. Here are 5 panels we're sad to miss

As major players pull out, the conference is still on. "This is a fluid situation. We go hour by hour right now," a conference spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon. Insiders say HHS could issue final interoperability rules at the event.

By Rebecca Pifer , Samantha Liss • Updated March 5, 2020

High prices fuel pharma profits. New research provides more context

Drugmakers often enjoy significantly wider net income margins than large companies in other industries, and those profits have come amid steady price hikes for hundreds of medicines.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 4, 2020

FDA seeks 'right balance,' permits immediate use of coronavirus tests

"We are not changing our standards for issuing Emergency Use Authorizations," Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Saturday as the agency issued new guidance aimed at accelerating testing capacity in the U.S.

By Susan Kelly • March 3, 2020