Reimbursement
A long trail of whistleblower lawsuits against the country's two largest medical laboratory services companies may come to an end in Virginia.
The federal government's PPI report indicated that prices across the range of healthcare industries were equivalent to those in July, although 1.1 percent higher than a year ago.
Governor Rick Snyder has signed the Healthy Michigan plan into law, making nearly half a million more residents eligible for the state's version of Medicaid expansion, to improve what he described as a combination of cost, quality and access.
Payers and providers can get templates for notices of privacy practices that must be furnished to plan members and patients from the HHS Office for Civil Rights and Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT under the law. The enforcement deadline for the HIPAA Omnibus Rule is Sept. 23.
Touring the state Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett unveiled a new healthcare agenda with a proposal to expand Medicaid eligibility through private health plans, if the federal government is open to new cost-sharing and work requirements.
Seven radiation oncology providers in Pensacola, FL, are settling allegations of improper Medicaid, Medicare and TRICARE billing, and are set to pay a collective $3.5 million to the state and federal governments.
The federal Commission on Long-Term Care released its policy recommendations last week but did not reach a consensus on how to pay for these often expensive services.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is exploring the idea of Medicare designing a supplemental or Medigap plan for seniors that would promote their use of an accountable care organization.
Doctors are told that the value-based care model will allow them to foster closer relationships with their patients, have greater access to clinical and pricing data and let them see fewer patients but earn more money but they are leery of the model.
As we get closer to 2014, consumers are being surrounded by news coverage, ads and opinions about the health law. And many of them are turning to their doctors for advice. The American Medical Association wants to help doctors with answers.