Reimbursement

Uncompensated care in Missouri's hospitals swelled 469 percent over a 10-year period, from 2004 to 2014 -- rising from $154 million to $723 million over that span, according to the Missouri Hospital Association's annual Community Investment Report, which examines community benefit and economic data.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that federal officials have approved most of his requested changes to the state's Medicaid expansion program and urged the legislature to continue it.

On Friday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was expected to release its preliminary payment plan for Medicare Advantage in policies to address growth rates, risk adjustment and the star ratings system.

On Friday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to release its preliminary payment plan for Medicare Advantage in policies that will address growth rates, risk adjustment and the star ratings system.

Florida insurance regulators have approved Aetna's acquisition of Humana's affiliates there, but with conditions, according to a consent order issued last week.

Medicare beneficiaries who live in urban areas may save money on their prescription drugs this year because they have better access to pharmacies in drug plan networks that charge lower copayments or coinsurance, according to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The state last week won federal approval to shift most of its Medicaid recipients into managed care organizations, which are paid a fixed monthly fee from the state for each person in the plan. It's a strategy employed by about three dozen states, many for decades, to provide more predictable spending.

For the first time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and America's Health Insurance Plans have announced standard quality measures among payers, a move designed to reduce confusion and complexity for reporting providers.

A new report from the Center for Improving Value in Health Care reveals significant variation in payments in Colorado for hip and knee replacements between private health insurance payers and Medicare: Coloradans with private insurance in the northeast pay $55,000 more than their neighbors with Medicare, while those in Denver pay $17,000 over Medicare prices.

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries reported a $1.2 billion decrease in profit year over year, according to their 2015 annual and fourth quarter financial results.