Employer Plan Deductibles Increase by 11 Percent: Survey
Oct. 8—In 2018, the share of workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) resumed increasing, and deductibles among all workers increased by an average of 11 percent from the year before, according to a national survey.
Oct. 8-12: ACO Changes Urged for Consideration by Administration, Congress
Oct. 3—Healthcare industry leaders will gather next week at various meetings that will include discussions of high-profile accountable care organization (ACO) programs. The Medicare ACO program particularly needs changes, providers told federal officials this week.
Medicare Quality Pay Leads Practice Regulatory Burden
Oct. 2—Although insurance prior authorization and electronic health record (EHR) interoperability have garnered extensive attention as challenges for medical practices, a new survey fingers Medicare quality payment programs as the biggest hindrance.
MA Plan Options Surge as Premiums Fall
Oct. 1—The number of available Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will increase by 19 percent in 2019, while average premiums will decline by 6 percent, according to new federal data.
More Audits, Work Requirements Coming to Medicaid
Sept. 28—Coming Medicaid activity will include more audits of Medicaid health plans and more requirements that enrollees get jobs or engage in other activities, according to the program’s federal leader.
Sept 30-Oct. 5: ACA Premiums to Decline for First Time
Sept. 27—Final premium rates for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces are expected to keep rolling in next week, even as the Trump administration is anticipating a historic first.
Rural Hospitals Push Congress to Address Key Financial Issue
Sept. 26—Amid rising concern in Congress over rural hospital failures, some stakeholders are renewing their push for a long-sought Medicare payment change that was described during a recent hearing as “one of the single most important” financial fixes for those organizations.
Site-Neutral Payment Reduction Leads Hospital OPPS Concerns
Sept. 25—Among reactions to a range of thorny policy proposals, hospital advocates are urging Medicare to withdraw a $760 million payment cut for outpatient services.
Fitch Maintains Negative Outlook for NFP Hospitals
Sept. 24—Not-for-profit hospitals’ operating profitability appears to have peaked two years ago, a rating agency concluded, as it maintained a negative outlook for the sector.
Value-Based Payment for Physicians Stays Flat: Survey
Sept. 21—The share of physician compensation tied to value-based payment metrics has remained stuck below 15 percent, according to a recent national physician survey.