Value-Based Payment for Physicians Stays Flat: Survey
Sept. 21—The share of physician compensation tied to value-based payment metrics has remained stuck below 15 percent, according to a recent national physician survey.
Sept. 24-28: Hospitals Draw Federal Cost-Reduction Focus
Sept. 20—Congress plans to discuss ways to reduce healthcare costs with an executive from the nation’s largest hospital company next week. Looming in the background will be planned administration actions on provider spending.
Legislation on Surprise Billing Targets Insurers
Sept. 18—Following a recent survey that found the general public blames insurers for unexpected healthcare bills, high-profile draft legislation that would primarily target payers was offered this week.
$1.1 Billion in Provider Regulatory Relief Proposed
Sept. 17—A large portion of the $1.1 billion in ongoing annual regulatory relief proposed this week for providers would come from lower costs for hospital outpatient departments.
Mandatory Bundle Gets Early Positive Results
Sept. 14—Hospitals in Medicare’s first mandatory bundled payment model succeeded in cutting Medicare gross spending in their first year, according to a new analysis. The results come as Trump administration executives say they plan to introduce more mandatory models.
Sept. 17-21: Transparency Garnering Increased Attention
Sept. 13—The Senate will undertake a review of price transparency in health care next week, shortly after hospital advocates urged caution in Medicare’s transparency push.
Hospitals Express Opposition to E/M Code Changes
Sept. 12—A Medicare proposal to simplify evaluation and management (E/M) codes could hit hospitals’ bottom lines, hospital advocates recently warned the Trump administration.
Will New ACO Findings Save Upside-Only Models?
Sept. 11—A new analysis joins other research in reaching new conclusions about the extent of savings that accountable care organizations (ACOs)—especially upside-only models—provide Medicare. It’s a data battle that could determine whether many ACOs continue.
PTAC Recommends New Models Amid HHS Promises
Sept. 10—Amid Medicare promises to soon introduce new physician-focused payment models, its leading advisory panel recently approved new models for consideration.
Amid Full Employment, Hospitals Keep Hiring
Sept. 7—Hospitals, like much of health care, continued their steady hiring streak in August, even as the pool of potential new hires appeared almost dry.