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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn , 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

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 Parduhn • March 2, 2020

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

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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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