Medicare & Medicaid

Six years after promising a plan to "repeal and replace" the federal health law, House Republicans are finally ready to deliver.

The United States is on track to spend $2.6 trillion less on healthcare between 2014 and 2019 compared to initial projections made right after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Money will help provide hands-on training tailored to small practices, especially those that practice in historically under-resourced areas.

Improper payment rates are based on the review of fee-for-service, managed care, and and the eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP.

Despite the ongoing shift from fee-for-service to a value-based care model, a significant number providers are resistant to implementing alternative payment methods even though revenue cycle management continues to be a critical aspect of a provider's health, says a new Peer60 report.

A program that has helped seniors understand the many intricacies of Medicare as well as save them millions of dollars would be eliminated by a budget bill overwhelmingly approved last week by the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

For years policymakers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have hypothesized that better integration of healthcare services helps improve outcomes and lower costs. Now there is evidence to back up the claim, CMS officials said in a blog released Thursday.

The federal push reflects the continuing concern over the nation's rate of unintended pregnancies, which is one of the highest among developed countries. The costs are significant not only for the families involved but also for the federal and state governments.

In its June report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission warned that rising drug costs and other factors have helped drive Medicare Part D spending up nearly 60 percent from 2007 to 2014.

Following up on last week's announcement on strengthening the marketplace risk pool, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday announced $22 million in funding for state insurance regulators to enforce Affordable Care Act consumer protections.