Government: Page 84
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JAMA finds public insurance payments increased more than private
Lower back and neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the highest amount of spending in 2016 at an estimated $134.5 billion — 57.2% of which was paid for by private insurance, according to the research.
By Hailey Mensik • March 3, 2020 -
Trump to attend HIMSS20 as organizers prep for coronavirus
It would have been the first time a sitting U.S. president attended the annual HIMSS conference, now canceled over coronavirus concerns.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 2, 2020 -
Trendline
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 -
CMS unveils participants in new ambulance payment model
Various units of private equity backed American Medical Response were among the more than 200 applicants throughout 36 states and D.C selected to take part in the effort aimed to fix misaligned incentives.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 28, 2020 -
Brian Tucker/Healthcare Dive
FTC to block Philadelphia area health system merger in 1st big hospital challenge in 3 years
Jefferson and Einstein defended their union Thursday in a joint statement provided to Healthcare Dive, calling it a "creative effort" to increase access at a time when safety net hospitals are struggling.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 27, 2020 -
Verma teases ramping up oversight of accrediting bodies
The CMS head criticized those agencies as "not living up to that high bar" set for them and said inconsistencies in how they performed inspections were unacceptable.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 26, 2020 -
More healthcare organizations admit lax mobile data security 'to get the job done'
Nearly 38% surveyed admitted to having suffered a compromise involving a mobile device in the past year, according to a new report from Verizon.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 25, 2020 -
Provider community weighs in on CMS bid to overhaul organ donation
The almost 840 public comments were generally supportive of the Trump administration's push to eliminate regional monopolies in organ donation.
By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 24, 2020 -
HHS issues advice to lower EHR burden as industry awaits interoperability rules
The strategy released Friday includes near-term suggestions like developers upping the user-friendliness of their interfaces and aligning reporting requirements across federal payer programs.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 24, 2020 -
CMS pitches expanding bundled payments for joint replacements
One Wall Street analyst suggested that post-acute care providers, not the manufacturers of pricey medical devices used in surgeries, face the greatest financial risks.
By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 21, 2020 -
ACOs ask CMMI for more shared savings in direct contracting model
The group asked for more details on the financial methodology to be released immediately, saying members "are finding the lack of information a tremendous hindrance to participation."
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 21, 2020 -
Spending on VA long-term care to double by 2037, government watchdog says
Workforce shortages and geographic alignment of care, particularly for those in rural areas, will make it difficult for the VA to meet the growing demand, according to the Government Accountability Office.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 21, 2020 -
Opaque pricing, data silos still mar interoperability progress, HITAC says
ONC head Don Rucker also teased at the meeting that his agency's part of final rules to promote free exchange of data would be coming soon.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 20, 2020 -
Price hikes drove employer-sponsored health costs to record high in 2018
The Health Care Cost Institute, drawing on data from Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare, found higher prices accounted for about three-quarters of the increase, while usage rose just about 3%.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 14, 2020 -
3 surprise billing proposals compared side by side
Congress advanced two proposals last week to ease unexpected medical bills as pressure mounts from consumers. Here are the key elements under consideration.
By Samantha Liss , Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 13, 2020 -
As SDOH efforts take off, payers try to carve out their role
Signify Community's Jamo Rubin said at a conference this week, "in four years of medical school and then residency, I never learned one thing about what happens to people after they get discharged."
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 12, 2020 -
Rollout of VA's troubled Cerner EHR system delayed
More time is needed to complete the records system and ensure clinicians and other users are properly trained on it. A new launch date will be announced in coming weeks, the agency said.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 12, 2020 -
1 in 5 surgery patients hit with surprise medical bill, JAMA study finds
Anesthesiologist and surgical assistants were associated with the most out-of-network charges. The findings come as lawmakers in Congress debate rival proposals to curb the unexpected bills this week.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 11, 2020 -
Payers, providers on different pages on SDOH, consumerism, value-based care
"In our 10 years of fielding this research, I don’t think we’ve seen healthcare industry leaders so polarized on some strategic issues," said Change Healthcare SVP David Gallegos, "and so tightly aligned on others."
By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 9, 2020 -
Q&A
One Medical's CFO on why primary care is ripe for disruption
The company's IPO was for 17.5 million shares at $14, the low end of its range. On the listing day Jan. 31, shares jumped to about $20. Since then, the stock price has continued to rise.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 7, 2020 -
Azar touts 2019 greatest hits, glosses over setbacks in state of HHS speech
He skated over some high-profile efforts from the Trump administration that didn't bear fruit or sparked bad publicity last year, such as efforts to lower drug prices, Medicaid work requirements and cutting away at the ACA.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 7, 2020 -
CMS proposes changes to Part D drug tiers, real-time benefit info for seniors
The proposed rule would also allow patients with end-stage renal disease to enroll in MA plans starting in 2021. Payer groups, however, voiced concerns about the change.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 6, 2020 -
FDA greenlights 1st emergency use coronavirus test
The decision means the diagnostic can now be used at any CDC-qualified lab. FDA said several other diagnostic developers are pursuing emergency use authorization.
By Maria Rachal • Feb. 5, 2020 -
HHS defends forcing hospitals to reveal negotiated rates
The agency took a jab at industry in its rebuttal to hospitals' legal challenge: "If patients pay less for healthcare, however, someone else receives less. Therein lies the genesis of this suit."
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 5, 2020 -
Courtesy of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
HHS partners with Regeneron on coronavirus drug development
The agency previously worked with Regeneron on the development and testing of an experimental Ebola treatment that proved effective in the 2018 outbreak of that disease.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 4, 2020 -
Hospitals spent $2.5B on social determinant programs from 2017 to 2019
The amount health systems are putting into SDOH initiatives is dwarfed by $60 billion in community benefit spending, but it's nevertheless a "substantial investment," Health Affairs researchers note.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 4, 2020
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