Policy and Legislation
The Medicaid expansion was supposed to be the least controversial part of the health reform lawsuit. But since the Supreme Court essentially made broadening its eligibility voluntary for states, not a day goes by without news reports guessing how Medicaid will fare in the future.
Massachusetts is aiming set the first statewide target for healthcare spending in the U.S. by holding healthcare cost increases to the same rate as the state's economy.
A new report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows that health insurers that offer commercial and Medicare plans operate at a loss for their Medicaid plans, while those that specialize in Medicaid only operate at a profit.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is now offering a case management accreditation program and three organizations have already signed on.
A Government Accountability Office report issued late last week examining Medicare EHR incentive payments found only 16 percent of eligible hospitals and 9 percent of professionals received payments under the program in 2011.
The impending demise of solo physician practice has been predicted for several years now. In early July, recruitment firm Merritt Hawkins put the proverbial nail in the coffin of solo physician practice by declaring it officially dead. But like the old man in 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" protesting "I'm not dead!", doctors aren't ready to be hauled off for burial.
A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) shows that with the increase in the number of baby boomers reaching 65, there is an increasing shortage of professionals who provide geriatric mental health services.
In its first analysis of the healthcare law since the Supreme Court's decision in June, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that the court's ruling will make the Affordable Care Act more affordable.
During a White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) conversation on July 24, leaders in healthcare and policy discussed the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) to reduce the environmental footprint of hospitals, lower costs and improve overall patient health by including sustainability efforts and initiatives into their business models.
Medicaid, neither as it exists today nor how it changes under the Affordable Care Act can assure access for the poor. Additionally, costs will not be affordable.