Policy and Legislation
A new report from non-profits Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) finds that 29 states get a grade of "F" for their lack of laws to provide for healthcare cost transparency.
A report released last month by the Office of Inspector General found that about one-third of skilled nursing facilities chosen from a random sample were not meeting some of the requirements for Medicare funding.
Scott Gottlieb’s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal argues that ObamaCare is making independent physician practices obsolete by forcing physicians to work for big hospitals. Although I mainly agree with Gottlieb’s observations, I’m more optimistic than he is, and less eager to point the finger at ObamaCare.
Several areas across the country are trying out community paramedicine programs in an effort to increase healthcare services and decrease healthcare costs.
With some healthcare providers now into their second year of meaningful use reporting, Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record payments were estimated at $12.3 billion paid to a total of 219,000 physicians and hospitals through February since the program's inception.
A bill to encourage mediation in disputes over medical errors is expected to be signed into law in what supporters say is a step -- if small -- in the direction of malpractice reform.
On March 8, 2013, CMS released its first guidance on sequestration, in the form of an “e-News” message to providers.
On Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board announced it will appeal to the Supreme Court a decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that invalidated appointments to the NLRB made by President Barack Obama last year while lawmakers were on break. At least two healthcare providers are actively opposing decisions made by the board in 2012.
Banking on repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) on Tuesday unveiled a plan targeting four major areas of reform -- second on the list is healthcare.
The HIPAA Privacy and Security Omnibus final rule – issued by HHS on Jan. 17 – should bring some long-awaited clarification and certainty to marketing, fundraising and other aspects of safeguarding and using health information.