Surprise Medical Bills, Direct Primary Care Gain Senate Attention
Nov. 28—Senators said they will push legislation to limit surprise medical bills and to support direct primary care as part of congressional efforts to control rising healthcare costs.
CMS Considering Overhaul of Hospital Wage Index
Nov. 27—The Trump administration is mulling changes to the Medicare hospital wage index system, including the creation of a commuting-based wage index, according to federal officials.
Lessons from a BCBS Plan’s Plunge into Value-Based Payment
Nov. 26—Commercial insurers—and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, in particular—have been shy about moving into value-based payment (VBP). But one southwestern insurer’s experience may help change that.
Some Regulatory Reduction Plans Draw Hospital Concerns
Nov. 20—Some of the latest regulatory rule changes aimed at reducing provider burdens have drawn hospital opposition.
Hospitals Lead Healthcare Price Growth Plunge
Nov. 19—An unusual slump in hospital price increases—especially among commercial health plans—has pulled down overall healthcare price increases, according to a recent analysis.
Impacts Expected from 2019 Transparency Requirements
Nov. 16—Healthcare executives expect widely divergent impacts from the unprecedented transparency on charges that hospitals are required to implement within six weeks.
Nov. 19-23: Social-Need Funding Coming in CMS Models
Nov. 15—New federal payment models in the coming weeks and months will include funding to address the social determinants of health, says the government’s healthcare leader.
Hospitals Face Business Impacts from Healthcare Innovators
Nov. 14—Hospitals are facing a range of business impacts from innovative partnerships and approaches that have been launched in recent months and years, according to industry analysts.
Number of Top-Scoring Hospitals in Patient Safety Increases
Nov. 12—The share of hospitals earning the highest patient safety grades increased in the latest scorecard from a national organization.
What Healthcare Policies Will the Election Produce?
Nov. 9—A divided Congress may be a recipe for overall gridlock, but some healthcare policy watchers see hope for action in certain areas.