April 23-27 Policy Watch: Drug Prices Draw Trump Focus
April 19—President Donald Trump plans his first major speech on drug prices next week, but employer-sponsored plans are not waiting for the federal government to act.
New MA Rules Benefit Provider-Sponsored Plans
April 18—Recently announced Medicare Advantage (MA) rates and rule changes could help sometimes-struggling provider-sponsored plans improve their performance.
Hospital Deals Accelerate in 2018
April 17—Hospital mergers and acquisitions accelerated during the first part of 2018, according to deal-tracking companies.
Hospitals Urge Caution in Federal Transparency Push
April 17—In response to a new Senate price and quality transparency initiative, hospital advocates outlined measures they would support but also urged caution in pursuing new federal requirements.
Confirming Eligibility of ACA Medicaid Enrollees ‘Top Priority’ of Administration
April 13—Amid a recent finding that three states spent more than $1 billion on enrolling ineligible Medicaid beneficiaries, the Trump administration is prioritizing the verification of eligibility among the 11 million who were added to the Medicaid rolls through healthcare reform.
April 16-20 Policy Watch: Meeting Focuses on Advance Care Directives
April 12—Advance care planning (ACP) will be a focus next week as part of National Healthcare Decisions Day. The initiative aims to educate the public and providers about the need for ACP and its eligibility to be billed under Medicare.
Are ACOs Saving Medicare Money?
April 10—Whether accountable care organizations (ACOs) save money for Medicare has emerged as a key question because it could determine how hard regulators push participating providers to take on downside risk.
Can Maryland Hospital Price-Setting Serve as a National Model?
April 10—Hospitals may have reasons to support a shift to a global budget model like the one used in Maryland, some healthcare policy leaders say.
MedPAC Recommends $250 Million ED Cut
April 9—Medicare should cut payment rates for many emergency departments (EDs) by 30 percent, Congress’s leading Medicare advisory panel recommended this week.
Removal of CMS Regulatory Language May Leave Providers Vulnerable on EFT Fees
April 6—Some healthcare providers are fretting over the disappearance of a section on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website that prohibits fees on provider payments made through electronic funds transfers (EFTs), saying the absence of such language could allow third-party administrators to short their income.