Policy and Legislation
Rising healthcare costs are the key fiscal problem the United States faces, said former White House budget director Peter Orszag during a press conference Thursday, and the best solution to the problem is a provider-value approach.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its June 2011 "Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System." The report includes a number of recommendations that have generated much controversy to address the growing use of ancillary services, particularly non-hospital diagnostic imaging services.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday the availability of $10 million to establish and evaluate comprehensive workplace health promotion programs across the nation to improve the health of American workers and their families.
Up to $500 million in Affordable Care Act funding will be awarded to help hospitals and providers improve care with new programs, training and monitoring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced June 22.
In all the talk around healthcare reform, the issue of meeting medical transportation needs of the burgeoning senior population hasn't received a lot of press, but as the healthcare system grapples with how it will manage an estimated 70 million Americans who will be age 65 and older by 2030, industry insiders say it's imperative the issue be addressed.
President Obama's administration said Friday that it will stop accepting applications for waivers from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's minimum coverage requirements after September 22, 2011.
An American Medical Association (AMA) vote to continue a policy supporting individual responsibility for health insurance and assistance for those who cannot afford it, drew immediate opposition from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).
High cost drugs used to treat relatively few people suffering from complex conditions like anemia, cancer, hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and human growth hormone deficiency are often the most expensive, costing thousands of dollars for each prescription.
UnitedHealthcare is suing the Department of Defense over the loss of its TRICARE South Region contract. The health insurance company has been fighting for reinstatement of the contract it was originally awarded in 2009 but lost last February.
Many predictions were made early in 2011 about the issues that would challenge healthcare finance leaders this year. Does your experience bear them out?