Policy and Legislation
St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md., has agreed to pay $22 million to the federal government to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Act and Stark Law, the Office of the Inspector General announced Tuesday. The federal investigation was triggered by physician whistleblowers.
With Medicare and TRICARE physician payment cuts of 25 percent looming, the American Medical Association and the Military Officers Association of America are calling on Congress to protect healthcare for military families and seniors.
The Institute of Medicine Committee on Geographic Variation in Health Care Spending and Promotion of High-Value Care opened its first meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Practice Greenhealth has launched a study on the impact of sustainability "best practices" on patient and worker outcomes and lowering costs.
The California HealthCare Foundation has launched a $10 million investment fund focusing on nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies with innovative services and devices that might significantly reduce costs and improve access to care in California.
Variations in insurance markets from state to state mean there is no single formula for how to set up the new health insurance exchanges, as required under healthcare reform.
A new poll conducted by the American Medical Association indicates 94 percent of Americans are concerned about a looming 25 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors.
According to a national poll, voters named healthcare fourth in a list of factors determining their vote in the Nov. 2 mid-term elections, behind the economy, party preference and the candidates' views.
Expect more noise and contention on healthcare up on Capitol Hill now that the November elections are over, experts say.
Deval Patrick's first term as Massachusetts governor was somewhat disappointing from a health care perspective, especially the first couple years. That's when the Executive Branch tried hard to squander the state's lead in health information technology implementation by dithering over productive spending of funds allocated for e-health and wasting time and money on consulting fees instead.