June 2018

CMS Introduces Medicaid “Scorecard”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled a “scorecard” through which interested parties will be able to monitor outcomes for state Medicaid programs, state CHIP programs, and CMS itself while also comparing the performance of states to one another. The purpose of the scorecard, according to CMS, is “to modernize the Medicaid and CHIP program through greater transparency and accountability for the program’s outcomes.” CMS also explained that The first version of the Scorecard includes measures voluntarily reported by states, as well as federally reported measures in three areas: state health system performance; state administrative accountability; and federal [...]

2018-06-07T06:00:29-04:00June 7, 2018|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid|
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Review: Telehealth Shows Mixed Results

A federal review of the use of telehealth services suggests that such services may be appear useful in helping to improve care and reduce costs under certain conditions but are less useful in others. According to a draft currently under review by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, Remote intensive care unit (ICU) consultations likely reduce ICU mortality and ICU length of stay (LOS); specialty telehealth consultations likely reduce the time patients spend in the emergency department; and remote consultations for outpatient care likely improve access and a range of clinical outcomes (moderate strength of evidence in favor [...]

2018-06-06T06:00:29-04:00June 6, 2018|Uncategorized|
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Study Raises Questions About Progress Toward Reducing Readmissions

A new study suggests that the reduction in hospital readmissions of recent years may not be as meaningful a reflection of improved quality of care as some observers believe. According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, at the same time that hospitals have reduced their readmissions of Medicare patients in response to penalties imposed through Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program, the rate of readmission of patients who are hospitalized for observation stays after visiting the emergency room has increased 35 percent.  This increase in readmissions for observation stay patients comes at a time, moreover, [...]

2018-06-05T10:03:22-04:00June 5, 2018|Medicare|
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S&P: 340B Cuts Will Hurt

Payment cuts in the 340B prescription drug program will most likely hurt hospital financial performance, and among those most likely to be hurt are DSH hospitals, small hospitals, and rural hospitals. These are among the conclusions in a report recently issued by S&P Global Ratings. The report concludes that …the impact of the cuts to the 340B Drug Pricing Program on not-for-profit hospitals that rely on 340B drug savings will likely weaken their operating performance at a time of already tightening margins. Effective the beginning of 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cut the 340B program 16 percent, [...]

2018-06-04T06:00:44-04:00June 4, 2018|340b|
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Hospitals, Others Oppose Easing Medicaid Access Requirements

Hospital groups and other health care interest organizations have expressed strong opposition to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to ease requirements that states ensure adequate access to care for their Medicaid population. Under current federal Medicaid law, states must periodically review their Medicaid provider networks to ensure that Medicaid recipients have adequate access to care.  Under a March CMS proposal, that requirement would exempt states from performing such reviews if at least 85 percent of their Medicaid population is enrolled in a managed care plan and similarly exempt them from reviewing the impact on their provider networks [...]

2018-06-01T06:00:07-04:00June 1, 2018|Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations|
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