Policy and Legislation

The impending demise of solo physician practice has been predicted for several years now. In early July, recruitment firm Merritt Hawkins put the proverbial nail in the coffin of solo physician practice by declaring it officially dead. But like the old man in 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" protesting "I'm not dead!", doctors aren't ready to be hauled off for burial.

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) shows that with the increase in the number of baby boomers reaching 65, there is an increasing shortage of professionals who provide geriatric mental health services.

In its first analysis of the healthcare law since the Supreme Court's decision in June, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that the court's ruling will make the Affordable Care Act more affordable.

During a White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) conversation on July 24, leaders in healthcare and policy discussed the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) to reduce the environmental footprint of hospitals, lower costs and improve overall patient health by including sustainability efforts and initiatives into their business models.

Based on the Supreme Court's ruling, states now can refuse to expand Medicaid without losing federal funding. But how does that bode for the future of Medicaid?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making available up to $275 million to states to help them develop and test improvements to their healthcare systems that would bolster healthcare quality and reduce expenditures.

Cleared by an eight to six vote, the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bill would effectively prohibit any federal funding of patient-centered outcomes research, which is conducted by AHRQ. Other provisions of the bill include withdrawing funding from the prevention fund incorporated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

An interim final rule adopting electronic funds transfer (EFT) standards has been finalized announced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week.

Now more than ever, providers are exploring whether the Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement program is best to receive their EHR incentive payments. For many, both are an option, and according to Stephen Martinez, CEO at MTS Healthcare, it's imperative to understand the ins-and-outs of each.

Changing the method for how CMS adjusts payments to reflect regional variations in the cost of care as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) can help ensure payment accuracy, but would do little to tackle the broader issues of access to care and care quality.