CMS Administrator Seema Verma receives HFMA’s Board of Directors Award, talks with CEO Joe Fifer
At HFMA's Digital Annual Conference, President and CEO Joe Fifer presented CMS Administrator Seema Verma with the Association's highest honor: the Richard L. Clarke Board of Directors Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to healthcare in a role that involves oversight of a $1 trillion budget, representing 26% of the total federal budget, and administration of health coverage programs for more than 130 million Americans. Following the presentation, Fifer and Verma had a Q&A session in which she addressed price transparency, the pandemic, and the future of value-based care.
Proposed change to Medicare E/M payment leads to disagreement among both providers and health plans
Medicare physician payment changes for evaluation and management could have dire financial repercussions for some practices, providers warn.
Hospital groups urge court rejection of ‘unlawful’ charge transparency rule
Hospital advocates highlighted a range of statutory and cost concerns in amicus briefs to an appeals court considering a CMS price transparency requirement.
CMS acts to limit losses for participants in value-based payment programs during COVID-19
CMS offered numerous ways that providers in value-based payment models can reduce their financial risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 26,000 COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, CMS ties money to outcomes
New federal data show that although only 4% of COVID-19 infections occurred in nursing homes, 17% of deaths from the disease happened in those locations.
Medicare considering making telehealth expansion permanent, Verma says
Medicare is considering making permanent some of the temporary telehealth waivers it has issued during the pandemic.
With 40% of COVID deaths, post-acute care sites get funding, scrutiny
COVID-19 focus and assistance increasingly have been turning to post-acute care providers.
Hospital provisions could end up in the next coronavirus bill passed by Congress
Congress is expected to enact another major coronavirus bill with hospital provisions by early July.
CARES Act payback problem for some healthcare providers
HFMA is concerned about some providers ability to repay AAP Programs loans because they must repay CMS an average of $1.25 million more than received from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.
White House healthcare leader expresses skepticism of mandatory models
The Trump administration’s healthcare policy leader was openly skeptical about further use of mandatory payment models after Medicare has added several in recent years.