Quality and Safety
Alternative benefit models rely on cost-sharing approaches for seniors, while some MedPAC members urged benefits that encourage changing unhealthy behaviors.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have launched a parallel review pilot program that allows medical devices to be reviewed for approval by the FDA and CMS at the same time.
In light of the record drug shortages currently plaguing U.S. healthcare, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is calling for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into gray market drug resellers' exorbitant price mark-ups as possible price gouging.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported Thursday that nearly 20.5 million people with Medicare have had a free Annual Wellness Visit or received other preventive services with no deductible or cost sharing this year, thanks to funding through the Affordable Care Act.
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) and the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) have called on Congress to reject a proposal that is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's plan to save the healthcare system $319 billion, because it would require Medicare to use prior authorization for advanced imaging services.
Partners HealthCare, a nine-hospital health system with 1,300 primary care physicians and more than 6,000 specialists has agreed to join Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' Alternative Quality Contract (AQC) global payment model beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
As the 50-plus cohort is now nearly entirely made up of the baby boomer generation, the issue of addiction among seniors has started to garner some attention. A report released in 2009 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that from 2002 to 2007 there was a rise of illicit drug use among those ages 50 to 59. A larger population of elderly patients with substance abuse issues will challenge the healthcare system say those in the field.
New technologies in remote patient monitoring will push the market to $22.2 billion by 2015 as these solutions are used increasingly to combat soaring healthcare costs and personnel shortages and to reduce hospitalization times, according to a recent report from healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information.
A recently released report form the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found more than 170,000 instances of so-called 'doctor shopping' of 14 commonly abused prescription medications by Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
OCS and DecisionHealth released their listing of the top 25 percent of the country's home health agencies today in conjunction with the National Association for Home Care and Hospice's annual meeting taking place in Las Vegas this week.