Healthcare News of Note: Medicare to negotiate reduced prices for 40 drugs by 2028, says study
Medicare drug price negotiation has the potential to benefit Medicare beneficiaries across some of the most common disease states.
Hospitals push back against a coordinated effort to revamp the 340B program
A lobbying fight has started over the future of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, with hospitals seeking to protect what they view as an essential source of cost savings. The advocacy group 340B Health and prominent hospital associations are seeking to repel an effort led by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to…
Highlights of the Administration’s FY 2024 Budget
HFMA presents a summary of healthcare-related proposals included in the President’s budget for fiscal year 2024, released by the Biden Administration on March 9, 2023.
New guidance for No Surprises Act arbitration looks like an improvement for providers
Responding to a recent court ruling, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated the application of criteria for deciding No Surprises Act (NSA) independent dispute resolution (IDR) cases. Certified IDR entities (i.e., arbitrators) received guidance March 17 instructing them to more directly consider multiple factors when deciding on an out-of-network payment…
Here comes the Medicaid unwinding: The healthcare industry braces for coverage disruptions
A potentially tumultuous period for revenue cycle teams in particular and the U.S. healthcare system in general begins April 1, with the phasing out of a three-year run of Medicaid continuous enrollment. The so-called Medicaid “unwinding” originally was connected to end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), which is scheduled for May 11. But…
The media blame game regarding patient financial conversations
Brad Dennison, HFMA chief content executive, discusses the March hfm cover story about patient-friendly payment and what some media organizations get wrong.
Data capture and coding for social determinants of health are works in progress, per reports
In the effort to bring social determinants of health (SDoH) more under the purview of healthcare providers, one tricky aspect is establishing a data and coding infrastructure. Recent reports highlight this challenge. For example, a survey conducted for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) found that although 78% of 2,637 respondents said their organizations…
Medicaid DSH Third-Party Payer Proposed Rule Summary
HFMA presents a detailed summary of the proposed rule that would address legislative changes to the hospital-specific limit on Medicaid DSH payments as a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Medicare DSH Adjustment and Section 1115 Waiver Days Proposed Rule Summary
HFMA presents a detailed summary of the proposed rule published by CMS that would change the policies on how the Medicare disproportionate share adjustment is determined, relating to the counting of days associated with individuals eligible for certain benefits provided by section 1115 demonstrations.
Financial and operational pressures continue for hospitals amid some positive signs
New financial data for the hospital industry illustrate continuing challenges even as some trends improve. Fitch Ratings released an analysis in early March that offers scant reason for optimism. Titled “Early NFP Hospital Medians Show Expected Deterioration; Will Worsen,” it draws on data from hospitals with earlier 2022 financial year-ends. Those numbers show “materially weaker…