Reimbursement
CMS is also updating wage index values, which has seen some inpatient psychiatric facilities change status from rural to urban.
Their findings are important because, under the health law, services that the task force assigns an "A" or "B" grade must generally be covered by health plans, including Medicare, without charging consumers anything out of pocket.
With Medicare's specific approval, a health insurance company can enroll a member of its marketplace or other commercial plan into its Medicare Advantage coverage when that individual becomes eligible for Medicare.
Anxiety and suspense are building in Kentucky as a potential clash over the state's high-achieving Medicaid expansion nears next month between Gov. Matt Bevin and the Obama administration.
Though finances are a great motivator to integrate patient care and focus on quality and outcomes, said Glenn Hirsch, MD, associate professor of medicine and clinical director in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Marshfield Clinic Health System and Contessa Health have formed a new partnership to operate a home hospitalization program in Wisconsin.
Generic drug price hikes have come under close scrutiny lately, as reports continue to surface of significant and seemingly inexplicable increases, often for widely used drugs like levothyroxine or digoxin, a heart medicine, whose out-of-pocket costs to consumers have been modest for years.
New mandatory bundled payments for cardiac care and rehabilitation will qualify for incentive payments under MACRA's new alternative payment model starting in 2018, according to CMS.
In a continuing dialog with providers on MACRA, Andy Slavitt addressed the American Osteopathic Association at their annual meeting Friday, once again hinting at a possible delay in implementation so that providers, especially smaller practices, have time to prepare.
The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday cut out former Tricare West Region contractor UnitedHealthcare and has given the contract to Health Net Federal Services, which also manages the Tricare North Region.