AMA gets on board with ICD-10 after CMS eases rules
The American Medical Association has publicly expressed support for newly announced flexibility in enforcement of ICD-10 rules.
Next Generation ACOs will be a boost for telemedicine
CMS yesterday unveiled a new model for ACOs as part of an attempt to make such coordinated care organizations more predictable and enticing for providers, and with that will come increased coverage of telehealth services. According to the American Telemedicine Association, the development is no small deal. “The decision is particularly significant because under this new model, […]
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
New national hospice database takes messy federal data and makes it beautiful and useful
The Washington Post just published the latest installment in its “The Business of Dying” series. The story about frustrating experiences with hospice care is interesting (and heartbreaking), but the really cool part is the searchable database of hospice providers. Using Medicare data that the government has yet to publish in a form that consumers can […]
Open Payments didn’t include over $1B in first roll out
It tuns out that the data recently released from Open Payments wasn’t the full scope, according to ProPublica, citing a fact sheet from CMS that indicated the payments were missing more than $1.1 billion between August and December 2013. Last week, the long-anticipated Open Payments project showed 4.4 million payments worth about $3.5 billion. From ProPublica’s Charles Ornstein: The federal government’s […]
Congress needs to repeal the SGR once and for all with new bill
After five years of slow growth, health costs are expected to rise as much as 6.8 percent next year. This forecast is sure to energize Washington lawmakers who have long sought to slash health spending, particularly within Medicare. Efforts to cut Medicare have typically focused on the quantity and cost of treatment, with little regard […]
Good news/bad news from the CMS report on U.S. healthcare spending
For the fifth consecutive year, federal healthcare spending grew less than 4 percent in 2013 – a markedly lower rate than the historical average of 7.2 percent per year from 1990-2008. But government actuaries and economists say we shouldn’t expect slow growth to last much longer. New estimates from the Office of the Actuary at […]
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A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Sharp drops out of Pioneer ACO model
San Diego’s Sharp Healthcare, a five-hospital system, is leaving the CMS Pioneer ACO Model, joining the growing ranks of other organizations that have left. Out of the 32 original Pioneer ACOs, 22 remain, with nine leaving the program last summer. Several have opted instead for the less risky Shared Savings Program, widely considered easier on […]
How motorized wheelchairs became the best Medicare scam ever
An excellent article from The Washington Post puts those “Get a free scooter!” commercials in a whole new light. David A. Fahrenthold starts his story with the trial of a woman in Los Angeles accused of Medicare fraud. He goes on to explain how patient recruiters and dishonest doctors helped to defraud the government out […]
CMS names finalists for $360M in grants to help kids, seniors, dual eligibles
CMS announced the second batch of prospective recipients of its Health Care Innovation Awards, which brings the total amount of funding for the project to about $360 million for health systems that devise new, innovative ways to curb healthcare costs among high-risk patients. Prospective winners are selected based on “compelling new ideas to deliver better […]
175 hospitals most likely to be penalized by Medicare for patient injuries
Medicare has identified 761 hospitals that are in line to be penalized for high rates of infections and complications this fall. Some of these hospitals may avoid the penalties in the fall after federal officials factor into their analysis an additiona...
Maximize Revenue and Patient Care with Strategic Weight Loss Management
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
CMS Medicare data dump shows why transparency is only half the battle
As transparency advocates are applauding CMS's data dump, many doctors, it seems, are yielding lots of questioning phone calls. That could be both good and bad.
DeSalvo meets and greets – briefly – while Tavenner keeps her distance at HIMSS
The perfect storm. @KBDeSalvo #HIMSS14 pic.twitter.com/sr6G1V8oIF — Dan Vogt (@9Vogt) February 27, 2014 We learned the difference between an “administrator” and a “coordinator” last Thursday at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Orlando, Fla. As MedCity News reported, two key government leaders in healthcare reform shared the stage for a much-anticipated […]
HIMSS crowd skeptical of promise for flexibility on MU2 hardship requests
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will not delay Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program, but will offer leniency for healthcare providers claiming hardship exemptions from some of the requirements this year. “We have decided to permit flexibility in how hardship exemptions are granted in the 2014 reporting year,” CMS […]
Medicare-billed eye lift surgery rises, costs quadrupled
Aging Americans worried about their droopy upper eyelids often rely on the plastic surgeon’s scalpel to turn back the hands of time. Increasingly, Medicare is footing the bill. Yes, Medicare. The public health insurance program for people over 65 typically does not cover cosmetic surgery, but for cases in which a patient’s sagging eyelids significantly hinder […]
CMS finally has a leader as Senate confirms Tavenner
KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico Pro about the Senate's confirmation Wednesday of Marilyn Tavenner to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and what awaits her. >> Listen to audio of this interview. M...