Policy and Legislation

Despite the economic downturn, the number of uninsured children eligible for Medicaid and CHIP programs fell to 4.4 million in 2010, a 10 percent decrease from the 4.9 million who were uninsured in 2008, according to an analysis of government data released recently by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

A report issued Nov. 29 by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) calling for more oversight of the meaningful use program has been mostly well-received by stakeholders. Doctors, however, are concerned about the burden of pre-payment audits.

Hospitals and healthcare systems across the country will soon be facing large cuts in Medicare if the U.S. Congress cannot reach an agreement on an alternative deficit reduction plan in order to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, therefore it's a good idea for these organizations to start being proactive.

A report released Nov. 29 by the Office of Inspector General calls for random audits of doctors and hospitals prior to payout through the meaningful use EHR incentive program, to ensure they have qualified. It is also calling for EHR certification changes to allow for reporting of yes/no measures.

In a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, it was found that after examining patients suffering from pneumonia and heart failure, a broad range of social factors affect the risk of post-discharge readmission and mortality.

The message that home- and community-based care is more cost effective than institutional care has been touted by federal and local governments and those within the healthcare community, but a new comparative effectiveness review of long-term care of older adults receiving home- and community-based services versus care in institutions concludes that there is not enough evidence in the literature to determine cost effectiveness.

BayCare Health System in Clearwater, Fla., has agreed to pay over $10.1 million to the federal government to resolve allegations that the health system violated the False Claims Act announced the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) last week.

A new consumer survey of more than 1,200 voters conducted by PwC Health Research Institute (HRI) found that 69 percent want President Obama to make reducing costs his top healthcare priority in his second term.

States that expand their Medicaid program eligibility under the health reform law will incur only modestly higher state costs, about 3 percent, compared with significant increases in federal funds, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

As many as 31 million Americans now receive healthcare through an accountable care organization (ACO) according to a recent report from industry consulting company Oliver Wyman.