Government: Page 87
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Brian Tucker/Healthcare Dive
Hospitals balk as CMS doubles down on price transparency
In the draft of the Medicare payment rule posted Monday, the agency also proposed raising the rate for inpatient hospital services by about 1.6% in 2021, which would amount to nearly $2.1 billion.
By Shannon Muchmore • May 12, 2020 -
Healthcare sector lost stunning 1.4M jobs in April
The bulk of jobs shed were concentrated in ambulatory services, which lost more than 1 million jobs, presumably due to the widespread cancellation of elective procedures during the pandemic.
By Ron Shinkman • May 11, 2020 -
Permission granted by Gilead Sciences
Trump administration: states to decide which hospitals get Gilead's COVID-19 drug
Remdesivir was cleared for FDA emergency use May 1 but hospitals and physicians were in the dark over how it would be distributed across the country, sparking frustration over the lack of transparency.
By Ned Pagliarulo • May 11, 2020 -
The image by Original image from Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress collection is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Hospitals tell court price transparency laws violate 1st Amendment
Thursday's hearing was the first step in what's likely to be a drawn out legal fight. Negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers have long been private, and hospitals want to keep it that way.
By Hailey Mensik • May 7, 2020 -
Trump reiterates support to kill ACA — despite pandemic — as House, states file briefs with SCOTUS
"We want to terminate healthcare under Obamacare and replace it," the president told the White House press pool on Wednesday. Estimates say that could throw some 20 million Americans off insurance.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 6, 2020 -
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
A coronavirus vaccine may arrive next year. 'Herd immunity' will take longer.
Experimental vaccines for COVID-19 are moving at an unprecedented pace. But that could mean researchers won't definitively know whether they're safe and effective when they do arrive.
By Jonathan Gardner • May 5, 2020 -
Paying private insurers Medicare rates would tank hospital revenue by 35%, study finds
Policy action is needed to lower out-of-control healthcare prices, Health Affairs researchers determined, but any moves from Washington to tie reimbursement to Medicare rates could send hospital revenues flatlining.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 5, 2020 -
FDA beefs up coronavirus antibody test regs that critics called 'recipe for disaster'
The Association of Public Health Laboratories praised the move. "This revised policy makes a lot of sense and should have been in place over the last six weeks," the group's CEO Scott Becker said.
By Greg Slabodkin • May 5, 2020 -
Permission granted by Gilead Sciences
Gilead's remdesivir, shown to hasten COVID-19 recovery, cleared for emergency use by FDA
In a remarkably rapid turn, the FDA authorized the antiviral drug two days after positive results were announced from a closely watched government-run clinical trial.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated May 1, 2020 -
7 states team up to buy $5B in medical equipment, supplies for COVID-19
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are aiming to use their combined purchasing power to drive down prices for in-demand items like ventilators and PPE.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 4, 2020 -
Ventilator sharing critical to save COVID-19 patient lives, Health Affairs paper says
Without a coordinated federal effort to promote the exchange of the breathing assist machines, thousands more Americans will die in the coming weeks as the virus continues its rampage across the U.S., the paper warns.
By Susan Kelly • May 4, 2020 -
Hospital, nursing groups join forces to lobby Congress for more COVID-19 funding
The groups requested funding to cover the cost of child care for nurses, physicians and other hospital staff as well as housing and transportation support, enhanced pay and free, regular COVID-19 testing.
By Ron Shinkman • May 4, 2020 -
Master Sgt. Hecht, Matt. (2020). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
HHS starts doling out $12B in CARES funds to 395 hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots
Another $10 billion is being directed toward nearly 8,000 rural hospitals, which will receive a minimum base payment and a percentage of their annual expenses.
By Shannon Muchmore • Updated May 4, 2020 -
CMS rolls back more Medicare, telehealth regs for providers working through pandemic
Accountable care organizations also scored a major win in the Thursday rule drop, with the agency pledging they wouldn't be dinged financially for lower-than-expected health outcomes in their patient populations from COVID-19.
By Hailey Mensik • May 1, 2020 -
COVID-19 cases are rising in rural America, and its hospitals may be unprepared
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds the COVID-19 caseload and death rate in rural counties is now outpacing urban areas. Georgia has a county with the most deaths per capita but has started reopening its economy against the advice of public health experts.
By Ron Shinkman • May 1, 2020 -
Permission granted by Gilead Sciences
Gilead, without details, says COVID-19 drug clears crucial clinical test
No data were available from the NIH-led study Gilead said succeeded, but the drugmaker disclosed results from a trial of its own testing remdesivir in patients with severe coronavirus disease.
By Ned Pagliarulo • April 29, 2020 -
Retrieved from Flickr.
Payers, providers urge Congress to expand coverage options as COVID-19-spurred job losses soar
Relying on the $100 billion from the CARES Act "will quickly deplete the Emergency Fund and not provide the benefits of comprehensive coverage," the healthcare groups and U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote.
By Hailey Mensik • April 28, 2020 -
5 key pillars of Biden's healthcare plan
As the coronavirus pandemic highlights shortcomings of the U.S. health system and millions lose coverage, here are the main tenets of the presumptive Democratic nominee's health agenda.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 28, 2020 -
"20-0081-033 (200318-N-BT681-1005)". Retrieved from Navy Medicine.
Reimbursement portal opens for providers that test, treat uninsured COVID-19 patients
To take part in the program run by UnitedHealth Group, hospitals and doctor's offices must agree not to balance bill the patient for medical treatment.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 28, 2020 -
Supreme Court rules for payers in $12B risk corridors case
The 8-1 decision, with only Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, found the Affordable Care Act "established a money-mandating obligation, that Congress did not repeal."
By Shannon Muchmore • April 27, 2020 -
Master Sgt. Hecht, Matt. (2020). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
Gottlieb, Slavitt pitch $46.5B plan for COVID-19 contact tracing, isolation
Primary care doctors should be the main referral source for testing and contact tracing, according to a letter penned by a bipartisan group including former CMS head Andy Slavitt and former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
By Shannon Muchmore • April 27, 2020 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
CMS hits pause on speeding Medicare payments to docs as COVID-19 funding reaches $175B
Health policy experts and provider groups called the move premature as the financial concerns plaguing doctor's offices and hospitals are unlikely to go away any time soon.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 27, 2020 -
Doctor On Demand inks pact with Massachusetts for COVID-19-related telemedicine
The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, covers the uninsured and comes on the heels of a separate agreement covering Medicaid and CHIP.
By Ron Shinkman • April 26, 2020 -
LabCorp coronavirus test gets 1st FDA nod for at-home sample collection
The agency re-issued an emergency use authorization for the lab giant's molecular test to permit self-collection of nasal samples. It comes days after FDA voiced concerns about at-home diagnostics to test for the virus.
By Greg Slabodkin • April 23, 2020 -
Another court rules against hospitals on DSH payments
Hospitals had argued CMS should only use Medicaid and uninsured patient payments toward the disproportionate share hospital payment cap. A lower court ruled in favor, but an appeals court overturned that decision Monday.
By Shannon Muchmore • April 22, 2020
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