Policy and Legislation

A group of more than 2,000 physicians is calling for the creation of a publicly financed, single-payer national health program that would cover all Americans for all medically necessary care. The physicians voiced their support in a proposal published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health.

Consultants hired by the health system that owns Nantucket Cottage Hospital in Massachusetts made several errors that led to lower wages being reported to Medicare for the hospital, which could potentially lead to a $160 million drop in federal Medicare payments over the next fiscal year for facilities across the state.

The implementation of MACRA and the introduction of the Quality Payment Program is "flexible common-sense approach" for paying physicians, acting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Andy Slavitt said at the American Hospital Association's annual membership meeting this week, though the government is actively seeking feedback on the new program.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday released updated data on close to 1 million healthcare providers who collectively received $91 billion from Medicare in 2014.

Humana may become the second major insurer to exit the exchange business in certain states, as it reported losses Wednesday stemming from that market.

Starting June 9, terminally ill Californians with six months or less to live can request a doctor's prescription for medications intended to end their lives peacefully.

Changing the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 years old would actually increase the nation's total healthcare spend since that two-year gap would be covered by private insurers that charge more for services than the federal government, according to a new report in Health Affairs.

Healthcare is top of mind for U.S. voters, with worries ranging from the fate of the Affordable Care Act to the out-of-pocket burden patients face in seeking medical care, according to a Kaiser Health Tracking Poll that examined the role of healthcare issues in the presidential election.

Proposed regulations released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are raising concerns that the playing field is uneven, with 87 percent of solo practitioners getting penalized and 81 percent of clinicians in large groups earning bonuses, according to some estimates.

In the 2017 open enrollment period, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will pilot a program on Healthcare.gov to pair results of a 5-star care rating with health plans on the federal marketplace.