OIG calls out issues with denials of payment and services in Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage processes related to prior authorization hamper beneficiaries’ access to medically necessary care, according to a new report from the HHS Office of Inspector General.
M&A update: A quiet quarter for hospital deal-making reflects the ongoing consequences of the pandemic
Merger-and-acquisition activity among hospitals and health systems remained well under pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2022.
Tentative deal to provide pandemic funding won’t replenish the COVID-19 Uninsured Program
A bipartisan Senate bill would pay for additional vaccines and therapeutics but wouldn’t restore funding to a program that reimburses providers for furnishing COVID-19-related services to the uninsured.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: CMS seeks to bolster maternal health through a new public-facing hospital designation
Hospitals could attain the “Birthing Friendly” designation by attesting to having implemented best practices in maternal health.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: Medicare proposes changes to methodology for determining graduate medical education payments to teaching hospitals
The biggest change is an effort to comply with a court ruling on weighted FTE slots, while another change affects sharable slots for certain rural hospitals.
It’s Patient Experience Week: Check out HFMA resources on improving the patient financial experience
The financial experience is an important yet often underappreciated part of the overall patient experience. During Patient Experience Week, there are many simple ways for a healthcare organization to celebrate its revenue cycle team’s accomplishments.
Medicare’s proposed increase for inpatient payments in FY23 doesn’t meet hospitals’ expectations
The hospital industry expressed disappointment with the proposed increase for inpatient payments in FY23.
HHS policy update: Recent developments include an extension of the public health emergency and notable progress in reducing the Medicare appeals backlog
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra signed a 90-day extension of the COVID-19 public health emergency, ensuring the PHE will last until at least mid-July.
CMS leaders explain final plans to restrict Medicare coverage of new Alzheimer’s drug
CMS mostly finalized previously proposed criteria for coverage of Aduhelm, which has been promoted as the first drug to treat the underlying pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
More than 2 years into the pandemic, the issue of deferred care continues to affect the healthcare industry
Concerns about the implications of deferred care continue to grow as healthcare organizations establish their strategies for a post-pandemic landscape.