Government: Page 94
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Nearly 2 dozen states now have Medicaid waivers for coronavirus response
The waivers allow suspension of federal regulations surrounding prior authorization, sites of care and physician enrollment, among others.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated March 26, 2020 -
On 10th anniversary, embattled Affordable Care Act faces yet another stress test
The law now faces a significant test as the nation likely heads into a recession amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, straining the health system in an unprecedented way.
March 23, 2020 -
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TrendlineSurprise Billing
Federal legislation banning surprise bills has hit a barrage of roadblocks, complicating efforts to protect consumers from unexpected out-of-network charges.
By Healthcare Dive staff -
Jacob Bell/Healthcare Dive
FDA eases rules on ventilator manufacturers as Medtronic, Tesla talk
While the administration encourages other sectors to pivot to help fight the crisis, providers and some lawmakers want to use the Defense Production Act to compel them. But President Donald Trump has resisted that.
By Nick Paul Taylor • March 23, 2020 -
Pandemic prompts CMS to drop some reporting requirements for value-based initiatives
Citing the COVID-19 outbreak, the agency provided either deadline extensions for reporting data connected to the projects or waived them entirely for the fourth quarter of 2019.
By Ron Shinkman • March 23, 2020 -
CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS. "covid-19 coronavirus on white". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/images.htm.
Ratings agencies issue foreboding reports on hospital finances as AHA seeks $100B to respond to COVID-19
"While the healthcare sector has responded extremely well to past crises, the scale of the coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented," Fitch Ratings warned.
By Ron Shinkman • March 20, 2020 -
U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) test kit". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/testing.html.
Direct-to-consumer companies wade into coronavirus testing to fill gap
Everlywell said Monday it planned to donate its store of COVID-19 tests to hospitals, following guidance from FDA warning consumers of fraudulent at-home tests.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated March 23, 2020 -
Hard-hit Washington state gets CMS green light for Medicaid coronavirus waiver
The Trump administration did not approve a request to expand Medicaid to a greater number of uninsured residents in the state.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 20, 2020 -
Brian Tucker/Healthcare Dive
CMS urges hospitals to put off elective procedures
AHA applauded the move, which leaves the final decisions to individual facilities, along with the passage of a coronavirus relief package that includes a raise to the Medicaid federal matching rate.
By Shannon Muchmore • March 19, 2020 -
Telehealth payment parity in Medicare welcome, but some vendors say it should have come sooner
"We've all been preparing for this and we certainly anticipated this was going to happen," Doctor on Demand's chief legal and business affairs officer told Healthcare Dive.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 19, 2020 -
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
How an 'overwhelmed' Buffalo lab facing coronavirus supply shortage signals nationwide struggles
The Western New York regional public health lab is a microcosm of the insufficient swab and reagent stocks labs face as they attempt to confirm COVID-19 cases and gauge the scope of their region's outbreak.
By Greg Slabodkin • March 19, 2020 -
Pharma salesforces brought to a halt as coronavirus shutters economy
Pharma companies may not have a choice. Hospitals are closing down access, too. MD Anderson Cancer Center, for one, has barred all visitors except caregivers or those with mission-critical business.
By Ned Pagliarulo • March 18, 2020 -
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HHS considers rolling back interoperability timeline amid COVID-19
But some health IT experts are calling for more urgency, not less, to fix the outdated EHR infrastructure and allow the free flow of clinical data to combat the mounting public health emergency.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 18, 2020 -
Coronavirus drives surge in demand for temp healthcare workers
David Savitsky, CEO of staffing firm ATC Healthcare Services, said one of the biggest concerns among physicians right now is being exposed to the virus and passing it on to other patients — further straining the labor supply.
By Hailey Mensik • March 18, 2020 -
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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • March 17, 2020 -
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 Parduhn • March 17, 2020 -
CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS. "covid-19 coronavirus on black background". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/images.htm.
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 -
Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks. (2020). "President Trump meets with the Coronavirus Task Force" [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/49613832638/in/photostream/.
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
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 Parduhn • 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 -
CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS. "covid-19 coronavirus on black background". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/images.htm.
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
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