News Briefs: Federal funding bill addresses hospitals’ 340B eligibility concerns, extends telehealth waivers
A monthly roundup of top news for healthcare finance professionals.
Healthcare News of Note: Staffing shortages in hospitals and healthcare settings are ‘actively jeopardizing’ patient safety, says ECRI
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Staffing shortages top the list of patient safety concerns, nearly a third of surveyed nurses said they may leave their direct patient care jobs, and MA plans collected $12 billion more in 2020 than traditional Medicare.
MedPAC says 2023 hospital payments shouldn’t increase in response to COVID-19
CMS shouldn’t increase Medicare payments to hospitals for the upcoming year beyond the annual update that is based on current law, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
Federal funding bill addresses 340B eligibility concerns but not some other points of interest for hospitals
An FY22 appropriations bill allows hospitals to remain in the 340B Drug Pricing Program if their eligibility had been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medicare coverage updates include revised criteria for lung cancer screening and a code for a newly approved COVID-19 treatment
CMS in February amended its coverage requirements for lung cancer screening and issued a code for a new COVID-19 treatment.
CMS’s overhaul of the Direct Contracting program draws praise from supporters of value-based payment
Value-based payment advocates see reason for optimism in CMS’s recent decision on the future of its Direct Contracting model.
For some 340B hospitals, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unanticipated and unwelcome loss of eligibility
Bringing longer stays and higher rates of deferred care, the COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting 340B eligibility for some hospitals.
Medicare’s much-hyped Direct Contracting model faces an uncertain future
Medicare’s Direct Contracting model, touted as representing the evolution of alternative payment models, could be shelved less than a year after getting started.
Healthcare News of Note: Amazon Care’s virtual health services are now available nationwide, and in-person care services are launching in more than 20 new cities in 2022
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Amazon Care plans to expand in-person care to 20+ new cities in 2022, GAO raises concerns about HHS’s leadership and coordination of public health emergencies, and a new study shows more physicians suffered burnout in 2021 than in 2020.
Senate panel discusses ways to address Medicare financing — and the consequences of not acting
Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage could be prime targets as Congress seeks to shore up the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund before it becomes insolvent in 2026 as projected.