Policy and Legislation
An analysis of hospices active in Medicare between 1999 and 2009 published in the June issue of Health Affairs is an attempt to shed some light on the degree of the changes transforming the industry and to point the industry in the direction it should be focusing on.
According to the American Hospital Association's first quarter RACTrac Survey released last month, hospitals continue to report an increase in Medicare recovery audit contractor (RAC) payment denials.
Bryan Lawrence lays out the stark truth about Medicare: it’s a massive transfer of wealth from younger to older Americans.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced a partnership with providers, care givers and patients aimed at improving the care and use of antipsychotic medications for patients in nursing homes.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced last week the appointment of five new members and the reappointment of one existing member to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The official announcement will be published in the Federal Register.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday to increase user fees paid by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers looking to bring new products to the market. The bill passed easily by a vote of 387-5.
A multi-billion dollar federal initiative to move low-income elderly and disabled people from long-term care facilities into the community has fallen far short of its goals, as many states have struggled to cobble together housing and other services.
Letters sent last Friday to House Ways and Means Committee chairs Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Wally Herger (R-Calif.) from the American Medical Association (AMA) and Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) suggest a number of different payment approaches aimed at a long-term solution to the current Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR).
Healthcare providers who offer extended payment terms to help patients meet rapidly increasing financial liabilities are exposing their organizations to a series of complex consumer credit compliance obligations due to increased regulations by federal and state agencies.
Last week, two U.S. Congressmen from Texas -- Rep. Michael Burgess (R) and Gene Green (D) -- introduced American Hospital Association (AHA)-supported legislation aimed at making healthcare more affordable by promoting healthcare price transparency.