Hospitals Sue Over Medicare DSH Payments
More than 100 hospitals have sued the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that the manner in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services calculates their Medicare disproportionate share payments shortchanges hospitals that care for especially large numbers [...]
Medicare Increases Emphasis on Behavioral Health
Medicare policy is evolving to encourage providers to take a more active role in addressing the behavioral health needs of their patients. In traditional Medicare, new payment codes encourage practitioners to spend more time identifying and helping patients with their [...]
No More Hospital Jello?
The days of enjoying a heaping bowl of jello while stuck in a hospital bed may soon become a thing of the past. In a new directive to hospitals, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has told hospitals that [...]
Hospitals Had a Rough January
Hospitals’ financial performance in January of 2026 suffered in comparison to that in January of 2025, according to a recent report. The report found that: Discharges fell two percent. Emergency department visits were off five percent. Average length of stay [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for March 26
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 20-26. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Republican leadership is exploring a reconciliation bill as a potential vehicle to [...]
FTC Creates Health Care Task Force
A new group will join the fight to protect Americans from their country’s health care system. The Federal Trade Commission has announced the creation of a health care task force “…that will engage in a coordinated, integrated approach to healthcare [...]
No Surprises Act Activity in 2025
A new Health Affairs report offers a preliminary look at No Surprises Act Independent Dispute Resolution activity for 2025. Among its findings: Providers and facilities initiated 99.9 percent of the disagreements submitted to the IDR process. Four provider groups or [...]
CMS Takes an Axe to the Fax
The days of sending health care claims forms and claims-related documents by fax and regular U.S. mail are fast drawing to a close. Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it will adopt a new regulation [...]
Looking Ahead to New Health Plan Price Transparency Requirements
If the new health plan price transparency requirements proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are finalized later this year and implemented a year later, as anticipated, they will usher in significant changes in available data for use [...]
Telehealth May Discourage Low-Value Testing
A new study suggests that greater adoption of telehealth may be accompanied by reduced utilization of low-value medical testing – diagnostic tests, screenings, or procedures that seem to provide little to no clinical benefit to the patient and are increasingly [...]
