The first thing you should know about HIPAA is that it’s HIPAA, not HIPPA, as is commonly seen. There is only one “P,” and that “P” doesn’t stand for “privacy.” If you have heard the acronym “HIPAA” (referring to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) thrown around a lot lately, you may […]
Dive Brief: In a win for providers, CMS dropped a requirement that would have forced hospitals to disclose their contract terms with Medicare Advantage plans from its final inpatient pay rule for 2022 released Monday. The rule bumps payment for inpatient services by 2.5%, which will result in hospitals getting $2.3 billion more than this […]
A new executive order is putting consolidation in healthcare in the spotlight; industry experts share what policy and regulation will mean for provider merger and acquisition activity. Healthcare mergers and acquisitions have promised to bring lower costs, higher quality, and better access to care. But a new executive order is challenging the rapid pace […]
Hospital groups are digesting the 863-page CY 2022 OPPS proposed rule, but many are already commenting on new hospital price transparency penalties and other policies. The newly proposed Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule for calendar year (CY) 2022 is causing a stir with new hospital price transparency enforcement rules and other policies. The […]
Regence BlueShield’s new partnership will offer members access to quality acute home healthcare services. Regence BlueShield (Regence) has partnered with a home healthcare provider to increase member access to acute home healthcare services. Regence members in Pierce County, Washington will have access to the new program. The payer plans to expand the acute home healthcare […]
A study of Medicare Advantage enrollees during the COVID-19 pandemic found that telemedicine use soared among primary care practices with value-based payment models. Telemedicine use skyrocketed among primary care practices during the pandemic, specifically for those with a value-based payment model, according to a research letter published in JAMA Health Forum. Many patients were forced […]
Analysis from Kaufman Hall reveals a historically low number of healthcare mergers and acquisitions in Q2, but revenue continues to rise. Healthcare merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was minimal in Q2, but total transacted revenue rose as health systems focused on acquiring smaller hospitals and strengthening regional partnerships, according to Kaufman Hall’s quarterly M&A report. […]
“It really undermines what the physicians are doing at the point of care, and it’s bad policy,” says Doug Wolfe, co-founder and partner of the Miami-based law firm Wolfe Pincavage. UnitedHealthcare’s attempt to “Monday morning quarterback” emergency room visits by retroactively denying emergency claims is not only likely a violation of the prudent layperson standard, […]
CMS has released a proposed rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System in CY22, which aims to expand value-based purchasing and address health equity. CMS has released the proposed rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System next year. The rule seeks to expand the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and address […]
HHS recently extended the deadline to use COVID-19 relief funds to the end of the month, but some providers say they still need more time. The American Hospital Association (AHA) is seeking more time for healthcare providers with unspent COVID-19 relief funds. The deadline to use COVID-19 relief funds is approaching for many providers. According […]