340B advocacy group releases survey results showing the financial toll of drug manufacturers’ curbs on discounts
Among hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a new report finds that steps taken by drug manufacturers to restrict discounts have had a significant impact.
News Briefs: Supreme Court ruling allows the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers to proceed
A roundup of top news stories for healthcare finance professionals.
Healthcare News of Note: McKinsey analyzes a range of scenarios based on the infectiousness, immune evasion and severity of disease linked to the omicron variant
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: An in-depth analysis looked at what the U.S. can expect with the onslaught of the omicron variant, CMS rescinded a drug pricing model, and total healthcare utilization in 2020 dipped below 2019 levels.
Survey: Health systems push toward risk-based payment models, payer-provider partnerships
Check out the key takeaways from a survey conducted in Summer 2021 with healthcare executives, which focused on risk-based models, data issues, leaders’ concerns on hitting budgets and more.
Hospitals need federal support to handle the ongoing staffing and financial crunch, industry leaders say
The hospital industry issued its latest plea for additional federal help to mitigate the financial and operational strain of COVID-19, including surging staffing costs.
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers can take effect nationwide, Supreme Court says
The court lifted injunctions that had halted implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in half the country, leaving hospitals and other affected providers with likely only a few weeks to begin complying.
Coverage denials based on medical necessity are far more likely to arise from Medicare FFS rules than from MA plan policies
Coverage rules stemming from Medicare national and local determinations were the most likely cause of claim denials in one Medicare Advantage plan.
CMS proposes to restrict Medicare coverage of a high-profile new Alzheimer’s drug
Medicare will pay for use of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease only for patients in approved clinical trials, CMS said in a proposed coverage determination.
CMS now says hospitals in half the country must abide by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate starting in late January
The status of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers took another twist, with CMS stating it will look to enforce the mandate within a month in 25 states and Washington, D.C.
A White House plan to combat the omicron variant includes support for hospitals
The Biden administration announced several provisions to bolster hospitals as efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic enter a third calendar year.