Policy and Legislation

Under the provision, CMS could continue to use Medicare Administrative Contractors to "probe and educate" providers on their likely compliance with the two-midnight rule.

Bill calls for stiffer fines for tax delinquent Medicare service providers, keeping reimbursement for acute care providers to 1 percent and by upping premiums for wealthier Medicare beneficiaries.

The state of California is working to create an "ideal" long-term care delivery system. Here are three short-term actions that the state can take now to lay meaningful cornerstones for a more comprehensive overhaul.

More than two-thirds of the estimated reduction, or $5 billion, was in states opting to expand Medicaid to uninsured low-income adults.

The consumer demand for price transparency is growing as patients pay more out-of-pocket expenses as deductibles rise.

Average enrollment in company plans was essentially unchanged between 2014 and 2015 at 74 percent of all workers.

The bill proposes to increase payment accuracy, encourage physicians to adopt proven practices, supply doctors with data to improve care, and, for patients, to make Medicare more transparent by them more access to information.

Many startups aimed at bringing hospitals and physicians software and management services to adapt to new Medicare and insurance payment models.

The new proposal will repeal the current Sustainable Growth Rate and institute a 0.5 percent payment update each year for five years.

While Congress weighs the sustainable growth rate repeal, insiders have taken to Twitter to voice support for the overdue change.