Jeff Lagasse
Audits uncovered about $12 million in net overpayments; AGs say lax rules for safeguarding reproductive health data could harm providers.
Total expenses are cumulatively 20% above pre-pandemic levels.
Optum Labs is providing funding in 2022-'23, which will drive research in precision behavioral health, among other areas of focus.
The readmission reductions may be due mostly to changes in how patient visits are being classified, JAMA analysis shows.
Audits uncovered about $12 million in net overpayments for the care of 18,090 patients over a three-year period.
Clinicians have faced new sources of stress since the pandemic, including fear of the virus and the inability to modulate workload, JAMA says.
The bill was crafted partly in response to rising complaints among seniors over aggressive marketing practices for Medicare Advantage plans.
Lawmakers say the final rule implementing the law favors insurers and should be changed to reflect provider concerns.
However, providers who previously were able to balance-bill patients may now be using the IDR process to collect above-market reimbursement.
Corresponding with enrollment is the U.S. rate of uninsured, which HHS says hit an all-time low this year.