Policy and Legislation
A recent study paints 340B program participants in a negative light, suggesting that covered entities chase profits and experience windfalls rather than help patients. However, these assumptions are far from true.
The CY 2015 final rule for the home health prospective payment system updates Medicare payment rates to home health agencies, and implements the second year of the four-year phase in of the rebasing of the payment system.
Eight family-physician-related groups, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, have formed Family Medicine for America's Health, a coalition to improve the public perception of what they do and advance their interests through state and federal policies.
Last week the HHS Office of Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a joint notice continuing the effectiveness of fraud and abuse law waivers granted in 2011 in connection with the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
An article published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine casts doubt that malpractice reform would reduce the use of supposed "defensive medicine."
This week CMS launched an ACO Investment Model, which will provide up to $114 million in upfront investments, to up to 75 Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs. The program aims to help ACOs succeed in the MSSP by providing upfront capital to cover startup and ongoing infrastructure costs.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recent 10-year projection of national health expenditures includes retail spending on prescription drugs, but a more complete picture of pharma spending would include the nonretail segment.
With an improving fiscal climate, some states are paying their Medicaid providers more. More states are increasing fees to specialists, nursing homes and managed care organizations, but 31 states were cutting or freezing Medicaid hospital rates, compared to 19 that were increasing them.
The medical tourism industry must respond to the problems found in surrogacy tourism. The first is the need for medical tourism companies, brokers, clinics and even hospitals to hold patient funds in escrow. Abuse of patient trust by misappropriating funds should no longer be an issue.
The 2015 Medicare Part A deductible -- for inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility and home healthcare services -- will increase by $44 in calendar year 2015 to $1,260, while the monthly Part A premium will decline by $19. Medicare Part B monthly premiums and deductibles will remain unchanged.