Time to Raise the Bar on Preventable Hospital Readmissions?
A new report suggests that hospitals can have the greatest impact on reducing preventable readmissions within seven days of discharge and not through the 30-day mark at which they are currently judged by Medicare. According to a study published in [...]
New 340B Bill Proposed
A new bill introduced in the House seeks to bring greater transparency to the controversial 340B prescription drug discount program. Under H.R.5598, proposed by Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), hospitals would be required to report the outpatient care they provide [...]
CMS Proposes Regulatory Changes in Medicare Quality Programs
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposal detailing how it envisions paying for Medicare services in FY 2019 under its inpatient prospective payment system. On Tuesday this space features a summary of the proposed changes [...]
CMS Proposes Regulatory Changes in EHR Incentive and Readmissions Reduction Programs
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposal detailing how it envisions paying for Medicare services in FY 2019 under its inpatient prospective payment system. Yesterday this space featured a summary of the proposed changes in [...]
CMS Proposes Changes in Inpatient Rates, Medicare DSH, and Wage Index
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposal detailing how it envisions paying for Medicare services in FY 2019 under its inpatient prospective payment system. Yesterday this space features a summary of the proposed regulation, with [...]
CMS Publishes Proposed FY 2019 Inpatient PPS Regulation
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposal detailing how it envisions paying for Medicare services in FY 2019 under its inpatient prospective payment system. The following are the proposed rule’s highlights: A 1.75 percent proposed [...]
Short-Term Plans May Short-Change Purchasers
The short-term health insurance plans that the administration proposes making more available to consumers as an alternative to comprehensive health insurance that meets Affordable Care Act coverage requirements may leave consumers with greater out-of-pocket costs and less coverage for some [...]
MACPAC Meets
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, a non-partisan legislative branch agency that advises Congress, the administration, and the states on Medicaid and CHIP issues, met publicly in Washington, D.C. last week. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of [...]
ACA Has Increased Primary Care Utilization
A new study found that the increase in the number of insured Americans as a result of the Affordable Care Act has resulted in increased utilization of primary health care services. According to a study by the National Bureau of [...]
MedPAC Meets
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met last week in Washington, D.C. to address a number of Medicare reimbursement-related issues. Among the subjects on MedPAC’s agenda were: using payments to ensure appropriate access to and use of hospital emergency department services [...]
