Government: Page 96
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Google's 'Project Nightingale' prompts HHS investigation
The Office of Civil Rights launched a federal inquiry into Google's R&D using the personal health information of tens of millions of patients from Ascension, the nation's second-largest health system.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Nov. 13, 2019 -
Surprise billing services had higher-than-average markups
Annual price bumps were greatest at for-profit hospitals, those that served more uninsured patients (for emergency medicine services) and facilities in the Southeast, according to a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.
By Shannon Muchmore • Nov. 11, 2019 -
Deep Dive
From telehealth to 'Medicare for All': takeaways from HLTH19
All of Healthcare Dive's coverage from the health innovation conference's second year.
Nov. 8, 2019 -
Duodenoscope reprocessors' poor work conditions exacerbate infection problem, FDA panel says
The advisory meeting followed FDA disclosing reports of three deaths, 45 patient infections and 159 cases of device contamination related to inadequate device reprocessing between October 2018 and March 2019.
By David Lim • Nov. 8, 2019 -
Deep Dive
Ethylene oxide plant closures put US on 'cusp of a major medical logistical failure'
FDA should consider asking HHS Secretary Alex Azar to declare a public health emergency and override state legislation to get sterilization plants back online, one advisory panel member said.
By David Lim • Nov. 8, 2019 -
Kendall Davis/Healthcare Dive
OCR fines Texas agency, University of Rochester Medical Center millions for breaches
HHS' Office of Civil Rights fined the two organizations a combined $4.6 million for not taking proper steps to secure patient data.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 8, 2019 -
Hospital M&A spurs rising healthcare costs, MedPAC finds
Adding to a growing body of evidence, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission found providers with greater market share see higher commercial profit margins, leading to higher costs per discharge.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 7, 2019 -
Trump administration sues Gilead over HIV drug patents
The suit accuses the biotech of unfairly profiting from taxpayer-funded research and seeks damages for alleged patent infringement.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Nov. 7, 2019 -
Courtesy of Walgreens
Walgreens reportedly mulling massive private equity buyout
The drugstore retailer is exploring a possible go-private deal, which would be the largest leveraged buyout in history, according to multiple media reports.
By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 6, 2019 -
Deep Dive
Retail makes its case, telehealth and voice tech dominate: 6 takeaways from HLTH19
Consumerism has its limits, interoperability rules face execution challenges and more from Las Vegas.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 6, 2019 -
Consumers more likely to leave ACA after their insurer exits
A Health Affairs study also found that shoppers not qualifying for federal premium subsidies were twice as likely to leave when their payer did.
By Linda Wilson • Nov. 6, 2019 -
Final physician payment rule keeps E/M code changes
The final rule, which is mostly unchanged from the proposed rule put forward in July, also cuts payments to physical therapists by 8% and to psychologists and social workers by 7% starting in 2021.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 4, 2019 -
Execs flirt with 'Medicare for All' at HLTH19, despite Trump admin warnings
"Until we see a better idea, it's actually not a bad framework to have a debate around," said the CEO of Medicare Advantage startup Clover Health.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 4, 2019 -
Litigation prompts Indiana to drop Medicaid work requirement for now
State officials had said the regulation might reduce its Medicaid rolls by about 5%, or 70,000 out of a total enrollment of 1.4 million.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 1, 2019 -
Georgia governor seeks to overhaul ACA market
Gov. Brian Kemp's proposal would push customers away from Healthcare.gov and steer them to sign up for coverage using online portals run by brokers.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 1, 2019 -
Price transparency rule on ice in win for providers
The final outpatient payments rule from CMS did include plans to implement controversial site neutral provisions and cuts to 340B drug payments, both of which have been successfully challenged in court.
By Samantha Liss • Nov. 1, 2019 -
Jacob Bell/Healthcare Dive
FDA blames market failures for drug shortages
High-profile shortages of drugs like EpiPen and the chemotherapy vincristine have brought attention to a chronic problem, one that's spurred in part by what the FDA termed a "broken marketplace."
By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 1, 2019 -
Stephen Hahn, top MD Anderson official, will be next FDA chief
Hahn emerged in September as the frontrunner for the job and will replace acting commissioner Ned Sharpless, pending confirmation by the Senate.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Nov. 1, 2019 -
More than half of VBP hospitals will see bonus, similar to last year
Rural hospitals participating in Medicare's Hospital Value-Based Payment Program significantly outperformed their urban counterparts, according to recent CMS data.
By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 30, 2019 -
CMMI head predicts industry will be 'very happy' with his replacement
"I worked very closely with the administration to identify somebody that has extremely similar values, that's concentrated on doing the right thing," Adam Boehler said Tuesday at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 30, 2019 -
HHS chief keeps focus on alternative payment models
Alex Azar on Tuesday hinted at further pushes from CMS on value-based care, including population health benefits like those newly allowed in Medicare Advantage and flat monthly payments for a patient's total cost of care.
By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 29, 2019 -
Sanford agrees to $20M settlement to resolve kickback allegations
The case centered on implants sold by a physician-owned distributorship and allegations a Sanford Health neurosurgeon used those devices to perform medically unnecessary procedures.
By Nick Paul Taylor • Oct. 29, 2019 -
CMS chief Verma teases more Medicaid deregulation
Speaking at the HLTH conference Sunday, Verma also said that as long as states continue to approach CMS with requests for Medicaid work requirements, the agency would approve them.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 28, 2019 -
Deep Dive
Wave of deals expected as private equity eyes orthopaedic practices
The business of replacing hips and knees is a lucrative area for investors as joint replacements are expected to rise and more care migrates to outpatient settings.
Oct. 25, 2019 -
Verma dodges on backup plan if ACA is struck down
Democrats accused the CMS administrator of stonewalling in her testimony in front of a House committee Wednesday, with a federal appeals court ruling on the fate of the landmark law expected any day.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 23, 2019
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