Medicare Proposes Addressing Health Disparities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled its first plan to reduce health disparities among Medicare beneficiaries by addressing social determinants of health. The plan, produced by CMS’s Office of Minority Health and titled “The CMS Equity [...]
NAUH Comments on Proposed Joint Replacement Program
Earlier this summer the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation proposed a new “Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacements Model” (CCJR) program designed to foster better coordination of services and efficiency in [...]
Socio-Economic Status Affects Health, Study Shows
A new study by California state public health officials has concluded that demographic factors have a major influence on individuals’ health. Among the social determinants of health specifically cited in the study are education, employment status, gender identity, race and [...]
Feds Issue Proposed Guidance for 340B Program
The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has issued proposed guidelines governing its section 340B Drug Pricing Program. The 340B program, which requires pharmaceutical companies to provide discounted drugs for qualified providers to dispense to low-income patients, has become [...]
Changes Coming For Medicare Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program
In response to the concerns of hospitals, Medicare is planning changes in its hospital-acquired condition reduction program. The program, a product of the Affordable Care Act, penalizes hospitals that perform poorest on measures designed to identify medical problems their patients [...]
Is Medicare “Pay for Performance” Doing the Job?
Three Medicare initiatives – its hospital readmissions reduction program, value-based purchasing program, and hospital-acquired condition program – were designed to improve the quality of care provided to beneficiaries while eventually reducing the cost of that care. But are they living [...]
Hospitals Stung By Readmissions Penalties
More than half of the nation’s hospitals are being penalized by Medicare for readmitting too patients. Together, they will loses $420 million in Medicare payments. The penalties are part of Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program, which penalizes hospitals for readmitting [...]
CMS: No New Home Health Agencies, Ambulance Services in Some Cities
The federal government is extending its current moratorium on new home health agencies serving Medicare beneficiaries in and around selected cities across the country. The affected areas include the Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, and Miami metropolitan areas. The [...]
CMS Proposes New Medicaid Substance Abuse Initiatives
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new initiative designed to improve how states identify and serve Medicaid beneficiaries with substances use disorders (SUD). According to a recent notice sent by CMS to state Medicaid directors, [...]
CMS to Expedite Review of Some Medicaid Waiver Applications
The federal government will streamline the renewal process for state Medicaid waivers for demonstration programs that are established and achieving their goals and for which major changes are not being proposed. According to an informational bulletin issued by the Centers [...]
