Policy and Legislation
The sacrifices caregivers make to aid their aging parents have a significant impact on their current and future financial stability, says a new study released Tuesday.
After reaching a historic low in April, the Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index found that Americans' confidence in their ability to pay for and access healthcare rose in May. The index rose three points from 95 in April to 98 in May, a statistically significant increase.
Recently, studies and news reports have focused on the acceleration of for-profit hospices and questioned those facilities' marketing practices. In response to these questions, and those raised by its members, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a nonprofit member group, released marketing ethics guidelines for hospice and palliative care organizations yesterday.
The past week’s appellate court hearing in Atlanta on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, one of a series along the inevitable road to the Supreme Court, showed that the opposing legal arguments are beginning to be firmly established—with each seeming to confuse the purchase of health insurance with the purchase of health care.
The National Quality Forum Board has approved for endorsement a list of 29 serious reportable events in healthcare. Of the events submitted, 25 were updated from their earlier endorsement in 2006, and 4 new events were added to the list.
A bipartisan group of senators is questioning the legality of physician-owned distributors (PODs). The group, lead by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), sent letters late last week to CMS and HHS asking for an investigation into the legality of PODs.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance is seeking public comment on the development of standards and measures for an optional patient-centered medical home recognition in patient experiences.
A growing number of medical professionals are signing up to accept TRICARE, the healthcare plan for members of the uniformed services, retirees and their families, according to the Department of Defense.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Wednesday it will extend the deadline for accountable care organizations that want to apply to be Pioneer ACO models. CMS officials said they are
looking for advanced ACO programs to lead the way for ACO development nationwide.
The State of Michigan is the latest entity to sue San Francisco-based prescription drug wholesaler McKesson Corp., for allegedly artificially inflating prices for certain brand name and generic drugs.