Healthcare News of Note: Hospitals ignoring federal price transparency rules get warning letters from CMS
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: CMS letters warn hospitals to abide by price transparency rules, fewer mental health services are available during the pandemic and the number of private-practice physicians undergoes a historic shift.
Prospective CMS administrator’s confirmation hearing highlights Congress’s desire to expand telehealth coverage
In a confirmation hearing for prospective CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, various members of the Senate Finance Committee expressed their hope to implement a permanent expansion of Medicare telehealth coverage.
Healthcare News of Note: CMS offers new guidance on making healthcare price transparency information searchable
CMS guidance on making price transparency information searchable, a correlation between job loss and nurse suicides and using incentives to move hospitals away from just-in-time PPE inventories are all topics covered in this week’s Healthcare News of Note.
Better integration with primary care can help address the ongoing mental health and addiction crisis, report finds
Enhanced network adequacy standards, value-based payment models and targeted investments in technology are vital to improving behavioral healthcare in a way that will meet escalating needs.
Congressional hearing showcases the divergence in the two parties’ views on how to improve U.S. healthcare
One witness at a hearing of a House subcommittee touted price transparency as an essential tool for addressing healthcare costs.
What healthcare stakeholders should know about the new COVID-19 relief legislation
New COVID-19 relief legislation includes funding for rural hospitals, provisions to increase the affordability of health insurance and more items of note for healthcare providers.
Disproportionate Share Hospital funding to states doesn’t match up with key benchmarks, report finds
Disproportionate Share Hospital payments don’t always align with key metrics such as uninsured rates and uncompensated care costs, a new policy report finds.
Providers that administer the COVID-19 vaccine are getting a payment bump from CMS
Providers will receive an increase in the Medicare payment rate for administering the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 15, CMS announced.
Healthcare News of Note: Xavier Becerra likely to be confirmed as next U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles, including information on the likely confirmation of Xavier Becerra as HHS secretary, which specialists are seeing an uptick in patients and lingering health issues from COVID-19.
A look at some of the healthcare-specific provisions in the pending COVID-19 relief legislation
As a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package makes its way through Congress, provisions under consideration could affect the Provider Relief Fund, the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces and Medicaid.