Policy and Legislation
How to slow Medicare’s escalating costs has been the big health care policy issue this month, with Republicans and Democrats offering competing proposals, each part of broader plans for reducing the federal deficit—projected to be $1.5 trillion this year, with the government borrowing 40 cents for every dollar it spends.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities in fiscal year 2012. The rule would increase payment rates under the IRF Prospective Payment System by a projected 1.5 percent — an estimated $120 million nationwide.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced on Tuesday four arrests were made in a south suburban Chicago nursing home after a surprise "Operation Guardian" compliance check.
People with low incomes or chronic health problems who enroll in high-deductible health plans are at no more risk for cutting back on needed healthcare than other people who enroll in the plans, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 6.19 percent over the 12 months ending February 2011, according to the Standard & Poor's Healthcare Economic Composite Index. This is a drop from the 6.31 percent increase in annual growth rate posted in January 2011 for this index.
The California Department of Managed Health Care has asked Blue Shield of California to justify a 37.5 percent increase for approximately 70,000 members who are in managed care plans.
We can compare the price of a new car or appliance but when it comes to certain medical devices, including implants, the costs are kept from patients, hospitals and even the government.
Large employers are rethinking their retiree healthcare strategy as a result of federal healthcare reform, according to Aon Hewitt, a global human resource consulting and outsourcing business of Aon Corporation.
One day after converting its hostile takeover bid to an all-cash offer of $6 per share for Tenet Healthcare, Community Health Systems filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Tenet accusing CHS of improper Medicare billing.
A new survey shows one in six employers favor a federally funded universal healthcare system.