Reimbursement
The Greater Houston Health Information Exchange (GHHIE) is now operational after two physician groups successfully exchanged secure clinical messages via the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's Direct Project Protocol service.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced yesterday the award of more than $296 million to 23 states that have exceeded target enrollment under the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which insures children 0-17 who live in a low-income household.
CMS will host a teleconference open door forum on Jan. 5 for physician-based and rural accountable care organizations (ACOs) that plan on participating in the Shared Savings Program.
The organization developing Maryland's health insurance exchange delivered recommendations to the governor and state legislature to support its operations, bringing the state another step closer to one-stop shopping for health coverage in 2014.
The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), has identified 20 portable X-ray suppliers with "questionable billing patterns," according to a report issued Tuesday.
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has developed a legislative proposal to expand the use of telemedicine for Medicaid enrollees with high-risk pregnancies and neonatal care needs. The ATA says it could save Medicare $186 million over the next 10 years.
A recent market survey of payers by healthcare software provider HealthEdge shows that the majority of payers are planning to support new payment and healthcare models in the next three years.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has pledged its support for the Office of the National Coordinator's (ONC) campaign to promote consumer awareness of health information technology.
Cigna and independent physicians organization Partners in Care, which operates in New Jersey, recently launched an accountable care organization that will treat more than 14,000 Cigna members at roughly 160 participating PIC practices.
A Kaiser Permanente program for women at risk of substance abuse during their pregnancy could save $2 billion each year if applied on a national basis, according to a new study published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.