MedPAC Issues 2018 Report to Congress
The non-partisan legislative branch agency that advises Congress and the administration on Medicare payment policies has submitted its mandatory annual report to Congress. Among the findings included in the report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission are: Medicare’s hospital readmissions [...]
ACOs Moving Into Medicaid
Accountable care organizations, one of the centerpieces of recent Medicare efforts to test new ways to deliver care more effectively and at less cost, are finding their way into state Medicaid programs as well. Today, a dozen states employ Medicaid [...]
Amid Budget Woes, States May Look to Medicaid for Savings
Budget challenges may lead some states to seek changes in their Medicaid programs aimed at saving money. Or so reports Fitch Ratings, the bond rating company. According to Fitch, health care was the biggest driver in rising state spending between [...]
NAUH Endorses 340B Bill
In a letter to the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, NAUH has endorsed H.R. 6071, the Stretching Entity Resources for Vulnerable Communities Act (SERV), which was introduced earlier this week by Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA). H.R. 6071 [...]
Verdict: Medicaid Expansion Improved Care and Access
A new review of studies published since the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion has concluded that expansion improved care, access to care, and coverage in states that expanded their Medicaid programs. Among the improvements cited by studies are: greater use [...]
Do “Narrow Networks” Jeopardize Care?
They may if they serve Medicaid patients. Or so suggests a new Health Affairs report. As growing numbers of Medicaid managed care plans reduce their provider networks as a means of managing costs, provider turnover appears to be growing. According [...]
Study Raises Questions About Progress Toward Reducing Readmissions
A new study suggests that the reduction in hospital readmissions of recent years may not be as meaningful a reflection of improved quality of care as some observers believe. According to a new study published in the New England Journal [...]
CMS Introduces Medicaid “Scorecard”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled a “scorecard” through which interested parties will be able to monitor outcomes for state Medicaid programs, state CHIP programs, and CMS itself while also comparing the performance of states to one [...]
S&P: 340B Cuts Will Hurt
Payment cuts in the 340B prescription drug program will most likely hurt hospital financial performance, and among those most likely to be hurt are DSH hospitals, small hospitals, and rural hospitals. These are among the conclusions in a report recently [...]
Hospitals, Others Oppose Easing Medicaid Access Requirements
Hospital groups and other health care interest organizations have expressed strong opposition to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to ease requirements that states ensure adequate access to care for their Medicaid population. Under current federal Medicaid law, [...]
