Reimbursement

Amid sporadic news of employers cutting workers' hours apparently to avoid Affordable Care Act requirements, two U.S. senators want to amend the law to redefine full-time as 40 hours per week.

Major changes driven by the Affordable Care Act and rising consumer cost-sharing are slowing the rise in the healthcare growth rate, according to PwC's Health Research Institute (HRI).

Testing for ICD-10 could cost big money, but failing to test could cost more, according to Mark Lott, CEO of Lott QA Group and coordinator for the HIMSS WEDI National Pilot Program.

Medicare eligible professionals (EPs) who do not demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program may be subject to a payment adjustment beginning Jan. 1, 2015. To ensure that Medicare EPs are aware of the adjustments -- and how to avoid them -- Healthcare Finance News' sister publication, PhysBizTech, recently spoke to Rob Anthony, deputy director of the HIT Initiatives Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administers the EHR Incentive Programs.

Out-of-pocket costs for bronze-level individual health plans under the Affordable Care Act may be higher than current plans on the market, according to a study by HealthPocket.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposed rule Wednesday that establishes financial integrity standards to oversee qualified health plans (QHPs) offered in health insurance exchanges and for states around their operation of risk adjustment and reinsurance programs under the Affordable Care Act.

The Food and Drug Administration has relaxed certain requirements for using fecal microbiota therapy in Clostridium difficile infections, a decision that may encourage payers to consider coverage options for the treatment.

Patients are responsible for nearly one-quarter of their medical bill on average through the cost of co-pays, deductibles and co-insurance, according to the latest National Health Insurer Report Card from the American Medical Association (AMA).

Nontraditional care delivery models, such as accountable care organizations (ACO), patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) and shared-savings programs, have been gaining traction in the healthcare arena, with more than half of physicians and other industry professionals now participating in these programs, according to new survey findings released Monday. 

Overall U.S. healthcare prices remained flat from April to May 2013, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.