Reimbursement

Ahead of oral arguments over pharmaceutical patent settlements in the Supreme Court, a Federal Trade Commission report has found that 2012 saw a record 40 "reverse payment" settlements between branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, up from 28 the year before.

Universal American Corp. announced Friday that its subsidiary, Collaborative Health Systems (CHS), has partnered with 15 additional groups of physicians to form accountable care organizations (ACOs), approved to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Across the country, hospices with generous admissions policies may find themselves on life support. Medicare, which heavily funds hospice programs, is cracking down on the industry's growing habit of embracing those whose deaths aren't imminent.

A proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released January 14, outlines further details about the standards and systems for states' health insurance exchanges, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP).

On Tuesday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage announced at a press conference a plan to repay Maine hospitals the $186 million owed to them by the state for patients covered by Medicaid.

UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform and Modernization has released a report outlining policy ideas for improving the nation's financial and physical health, with proposals for nationwide diabetes prevention campaigns, the use of risk coordinated care and alternative Medicare payment systems designed to eliminate the problems associated with fee-for-service payments.

In a report released last week, the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System describes a set of three healthcare policies that could slow health spending by $2 trillion over 10 years by focusing on the way public and private purchasers pay for healthcare, enhancing consumers' choices of higher-value care and streamlining administrative procedures.

Reimbursement rates for treating Medicare patients will continue to be a major issue for physicians in 2013 some industry experts predict.

In pursuit of integrated care delivery and more integrated business, two Atlanta health systems are forming the Georgia Health Collaborative and launching joint health plans.

The St. Louis-based insurer Centene said it's buying a comprehensive speciality drug company called AcariaHealth for $152 million, as part of its plan for treatment of complex illnesses.