May 28-June 1: Senate to Focus on Opioid Impacts in Medicare, Medicaid
May 24—The primary Senate committee overseeing Medicare and Medicaid will begin its look at the opioid crisis next week amid a quickly advancing body of bills targeting the issue.
May 21-25: Healthcare Employment Challenges Get Congressional Focus
May 17—Congress is set to examine hiring challenges in the healthcare industry next week, as the sector hits an all-time high share of total U.S. employment.
Azar: Actions Coming on Drug Prices, Transparency, Interoperability
May 9—Coming Trump administration healthcare initiatives will include a push to curtail pharmaceutical prices, a price and quality-data transparency effort, and incentives for greater sharing of patient data, the administration’s senior healthcare official said.
Hospitals Urge Caution in Federal Transparency Push
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.
Have Hospitals Done Enough to Reduce Costs?
John Johnston describes the need for a meaningful, long-term plan to cut costs.
Online Posting of Charges Among New Medicare Rules Proposals
April 25—Hospitals would be required to post their “standard charges” online by FY19 under Medicare rules proposed this week.
The Study of Factors Influencing the Total Cost of Health Care
A study conducted by HFMA, Leavitt Partners, and McManis Consulting investigated factors driving the total cost of health care in the United States.
What Is Driving Total Cost of Care?
A recent study identifies key factors that may be influencing total cost of care in the United States and provides recommendations for addressing those factors.
How Medicare Advantage, Medicaid Managed Care Plans Can Improve Quality Reporting
Integration of risk, quality, and care programs is among the steps that can help health plans in the government-sponsored healthcare space lower the burden of accurately documenting and reporting quality metrics.
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.