Policy and Legislation
Many health care provider organizations have not been overly eager to jump onto the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) bandwagon, citing high startup costs and uncertain returns on investment given the complexity of the program.
A provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act that intends to increase Medicare beneficiaries' share of healthcare costs is meeting resistance from a group charged with revising Medigap insurance policies that cover most out-of-pocket expenses.
Republicans have done a good job attacking the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and I’ve criticized their criticisms for being largely cheap shots and inaccuracies.
The Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be dodging its responsibilities to veterans in need of mental healthcare by seeking to appeal a ruling made by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last spring. The side effects of the VA's stonewalling include an increased burden on the nation's healthcare system and dire consequences for the veterans in need of services.
The National Labor Relations Board issued a final rule last week requiring employers to post notices advising employees of their rights to unionize. The new rule, which goes into effect Nov. 14, faced much opposition from businesses that argued that current rules suffice and the board lacks the authority to create such a rule.
With Medicare soon releasing a final rule on reducing hospital readmissions, hospitals need to strengthen their efforts in this endeavor. Hospitals with the highest rates of readmissions can face the harshest penalties, with the CMS cutting 3% of their reimbursements.
The Congressional Budget Office's updated budget projections offer hope tempered by big ifs around healthcare issues.
These MRI audits are the infamous “Semi-Automated Reviews” that first showed up this past spring. The facts appear to be a way for the RACs to circumvent the ADR limits, which were recently changed, but only for the smaller providers.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $137 million on Thursday to states to strengthen the public health infrastructure and provide jobs in the core areas of public health.
Despite the fact America gained independence from the British more than 200 years ago, our two countries have plotted very similar cultural, social and political courses over this period.