Policy and Legislation
The growing drug shortage crisis is the number one supply chain concern for providers nationwide says Novation, a group purchasing organization. Yet, even in these dire circumstances, there may be a glimmer of hope.
The Medicare physician payment fee for 2012 is not as bad as predicted, but the lesser cut will be cold comfort to physicians.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday announced it will increase payment rates under its Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) by 1.9 percent and its Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payments by 1.6 percent in 2012.
The final Accountable Care Organization regulations are out, the initial flurry of commentary is out, and we can now all catch our collective breath and contemplate the draft vs. final ACO regulation comparisons, the meaning of this new, final set of regulations, guidances and statements.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its final rule updating the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) for 2012. In a press release, CMS noted that the final changes are a result of the agency seeking to "improve payment accuracy" while still supporting patient access.
After much anticipation, the Department of Health and Human Services issued its final rule on Medicare accountable care organizations. Many of the initial proposed requirements have been relaxed quite a bit or waived altogether.
With U.S. drug shortages reaching record numbers, President Obama issued an executive order on Monday, directing the FDA to take steps to reduce current shortages and prevent future disruptions.
Washington governor Chris Gregoire last week proposed cutting at least $664 million from healthcare programs in order to help balance the state's budget.
Medicare Part B premiums in 2012 will be more than 6 percent less than was projected earlier this year by the Medicare Trustees.
Faced with staggering economic woes, Medicaid officials in most states are enacting cost cutting measures for Medicaid spending as the average state contribution to the entitlement program is projected to increase 28.7 percent in FY 2011 to make up for the loss of federal funds, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.