Biden’s order to reopen the ACA marketplaces next month draws praise from hospitals
An executive order by President Joe Biden directed HHS to open the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for three months starting in mid-February.
Healthcare News of Note: Report indicates uptick in hospital M&A activity
Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of articles from the past week, including more M&A activity in Q4, an extension of the COVID-19 PHE underway and FTC examination of claims data to help assess impact of physician group consolidation.
Financial Sustainability Report: January 2021
The January Financial Sustainability Report, sponsored by Kaufman Hall, examines the recent expanded interest in hospital-at-home programs, and their potential benefits. It also includes insights on the critical impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on people already adversely affected by social determinants, and on the need to address administrative was in the healthcare caused by onerous prior authorization processes.
News Briefs: CMS says it plans aggressive price transparency enforcement
CMS has notified hospitals that they should expect aggressive enforcement of new price transparency rules, including via audits that were slated to start in January.
3 takeaways from the latest MedPAC policy meeting: future payment rates, telehealth coverage approaches and an overhaul of Medicare APMs
The January meeting of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission included policy discussions about some of the most pressing issues in healthcare, including coverage of telehealth services.
Healthcare News of Note: Recent CMS regulations are in limbo under the new administration
News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of articles from the past weeks, including, the Biden administration ordering a review of recently finalized regulations across government agencies, leaving the fate of several new CMS rules in question.
‘Bidencare’: What’s achievable?
The new Biden administration could achieve either of two scenarios in the realm of health policy: One would involve bold changes to health policy, whereas the other, which is more likely, would involve less-ambitious reforms that can garner bipartisan support.
Employers seek shelter from healthcare cost increases in public option
If plans and providers can’t collaborate to control healthcare cost, employers will look to the government to do so.
Post-election Washington policy outlook on health policy priorities
HFMA's Chad Mulvany speculates on health policy priorities and changes in the next 24 months, assuming we continue to have a divided government and President-elect Biden's campaign survives President Trump's many legal challenges about state vote counts.
Analysis: Providers should prepare for reductions in Medicare and Medicaid spending as federal deficit swells
Given the role both Medicare and Medicaid spending play in current and projected federal deficits, spending on both will eventually need to be reduced.