Category: CMS

The U.S. Supreme Court rules against providers in lawsuits over Medicaid reimbursement On Tuesday morning, March 31, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Armstrong et al v. Exceptional Child Center, Inc., et al, that private healthcare providers cannot sue states over low Medicaid reimbursement rates, in a 5-4 ruling, reversing a lower court’s ruling. Providers…

A new study published in a major diabetes journal suggests that healthcare reform changes have boosted glucose testing in states that formed healthcare exchanges. The result confirms Kalorama Information’s predictions on the topic. …read more Source:: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150330/Healthcare-reform-changes-boost-glucose-testing-in-states-with-healthcare-exchanges.aspx       

Senate delays vote on Medicare payment fix for two weeks The Senate will not vote on the House-approved SGR repeal bill until mid-April, after its two-week recess ends. Johnson & Johnson Announces Definitive Agreement To Collaborate With Google To Advance Surgical Robotics Google and Johnson & Johnson will partner to develop a surgical robot that…

One day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would overhaul physician reimbursement under Medicare, Premier’s Blair Childs spoke with HCI Editor-in-Chief Mark Hagland about the dramatic changes ahead in physician payment Blair Childs, senior vice president for public affairs at the Charlotte-based Premier Inc., a nationwide alliance of hospitals, physician groups, and…

Cost Estimate and Supplemental Analyses for H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 The CBO estimates that the House-passed SGR repeal bill will increase the federal deficit by $141 billion over the next ten years. The bill is now with the Senate. The CMS and ONC NPRMs John Halamka, MD weighs…

On Thursday morning, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which governs how physicians are reimbursed for Medicare. On Wednesday morning, March 26, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which governs how physicians are…

People in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are far more likely to be newly identified with diabetes than in states that elected not to expand the public health care program, finds a new study by researchers at Quest Diagnostics. …read more Source:: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150326/New-Quest-Diagnostics-study-analyses-impact-of-ACA-in-promoting-earlier-diagnosis-of-diabetes.aspx       

Premier senior vice president for public affairs Blair Childs calls the Department of Health and Human Services’ new Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network worthy of support As the Department of Health and Human Services, and the HHS Secretary, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, have indicated their intention to tie 30 percent of Medicare fee-for-service payments…

By John Halamka This analysis was written by Micky Tripathi and John Halamka. On Friday March 20, CMS released the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Stage 3 and ONC released the 2015 Edition Health Information Technology (Health IT) Certification Criteria, 2015 Edition Base Electronic Health Record (EHR) Definition, and ONC Health IT Certification Program Modifications. Perhaps…

Are providers being asked to do too much? Industry stakeholders have weighed in on the CMS’ proposed rule for Stage 3 of meaningful use, expressing concern for aggressive benchmarks for patient engagement and HIE requirements. After a weekend to read through the approximately 300 pages that make up the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’…