Trump Executive Order Seeks To Make Medicare Payment Rates More Competitive with Commercial Rates President Trump signed an Executive Order last week aimed at strengthening Medicare and Medicare Advantage, supporting telehealth services and supplemental benefits offered by insurers, and ensuring that traditional Medicare is not promoted over...
New CMS Mandate To Collect 340B Drug Cost Data, Signals New Payment Reduction Efforts CMS quietly issued a notice last week that it will begin collecting data on 340B drug acquisition costs. This likely signals that the agency is preparing for a new payment reduction scheme...
Surprise Billing Legislation on Slower Track; Swing State Voters Oppose Three different House committees are working on surprise billing legislation...
Assault on Hospital Prices Intensifies Make no mistake, spending for hospital services is under increasing assault by the government and private payors and big pharma. In a series of regulatory proposals from CMS this year, the agency has targeted various hospital funding streams for reductions. From...
Physician Groups Continue to Lobby Against Provisions in Surprise Billing Legislation Various congressional committees will turn their attention this week to surprise billing legislation as physician groups have stepped up lobbying efforts against the current surprise billing bills that passed out of Senate and House committees...
Congress Returns and Renews Efforts To Pass Surprise Billing Legislation Key House and Senate Committees will continue their efforts this week at weaving together surprise billing legislation that can pass both chambers. Advocacy groups are keeping up the pressure on policymakers. In one major campaign favoring...
CMS Decides To Revise Hospital Star Rating System CMS has announced it will update its hospital star ratings in early 2020 using the current methodology as the agency works on refining a new one. With the last update to the ratings system implemented in February 2019, CMS...
Public Charge Rule: Fewer Health Care Benefits for Legal Immigrants; Lawsuits Filed The Trump Administration has moved to reframe green card requirements through the public charge rule, stressing English language skills and wealth in order to attract immigrants who will be more self-sufficient. This rule will...
Hot and Heavy Discussions Around Surprise Billing During Congress' August Recess Even though the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed surprise billing legislation in July, with the promise of floor action in late September, two other House Committees are busy working on their own versions of...
U.S. News Releases 2019-20 Best Hospital Rankings; Healthgrades Releases Women's Care Awards The updated methodology in its 30th edition provides a multifaceted assessment on nearly every hospital nationwide including its 12 data-driven specialty rankings as well. The analysis also scores the best hospitals by region. The...