Mary Mosquera
Providers offer options for the Supercommittee to cut Medicare costs by making better coverage decisions and discouraging routine unnecessary services.
Alternative benefit models rely on cost-sharing approaches for seniors, while some MedPAC members urged benefits that encourage changing unhealthy behaviors.
Commercial plans paid $2.1 million and Medicaid paid $900,000 toward state's Multi-Payer PCMH Program's first biannual transformation payment.
With physicians wanting work-life balance, job security, good salary and a thriving area in which to live, it is difficult to draw primary care providers to rural areas.
The Web-based tool supplies actual prices paid, saving purchasing staff from having to contact vendors for price quotes and tweak their data.
Health plans Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare will furnish de-identified claims data to new Health Care Cost Institute to analyze cost and use drivers.
CMS will use the claims and provider data to support policy activities and reimbursement for the Medicare Shared Savings and Pioneer ACO Model programs.
States overwhelmingly rely on managed care plans for their Medicaid beneficiaries but may not be prepared to scale up for the expected increase in enrollees under health reform.
Former Justice lawyer and prosecutor Leon Rodriguez is appointed director of the Office of Civil Rights.
Like other industry sectors, healthcare will reduce costs by driving quality as it rolls out ACOs and other health reform components, says CMS chief Donald Berwick.