Susan Morse

LAS VEGAS - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, legislators and others discuss ways to change current regulations to give rural hospitals technology that rivals what the large health systems have, according to Patrick Yount, director of HIT at the Colorado Rural Health Center.

Republican governor supports expansion, has been in talks with Obama administration.

The rule finalizes provisions to help consumers with surprise out-of-network costs at in-network facilities.

LAS VEGAS - Providers may be pleasantly surprised by new payment models when they learn how much they would have been paid had they participated, according to Rene Cabral-Daniels, CEO of the Community Care Network of Virginia.

LAS VEGAS - Health information exchange is an essential tool to support the transition to value-based payment models, according to Alex Baker of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who gave an overview of federal initiatives and how states, hospitals and physicians can benefit from the innovations, during HIMSS16 in Las Vegas.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now requiring consumers who sign up for health insurance coverage during special enrollment periods to submit proof of eligibility, a move that the health insurance industry applauded.

Republican Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has announced expanded Medicaid coverage for eligible residents in his state through a program he is calling Medicaid modernization.

CMS instead wants to establish set payment amounts, indicating the bid process lacks competition, and therefore, price incentives.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the moratorium on home health agencies and ambulance services operating in six metro areas to reduce the risk of fraud, waste and abuse, CMS said.

The owner of Alpha Diagnostics in Maryland has been convicted of bilking Medicare and Medicaid of more than $7.5 million in a fraud case authorities say resulted in the death of two patients because their radiology tests were not interpreted by a qualified radiologist.