Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
MedPAC Discusses Post-COVID Telehealth
Should Medicare continue to encourage the use of telehealth when the COVID-19 pandemic ends? Should it continue to pay for telehealth when the there is no “tele” in the service and it is audio only? And should Medicare pay different rates for visits in person, telehealth visits, and audio-only (that is, telephone) visits? These were among the questions addressed by members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission during their public meetings last week. Members also discussed the need for further analysis of the effectiveness of telehealth and audio-only visits, how [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for Monday, November 15
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, November 15. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has posted a transcript of the November 10 press briefing given by its COVID-19 response team and public officials. Go here for the slides presented during that briefing. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – Final Guidance on Shared/Co-Located Hospital Spaces In a memo to state survey agencies, CMS has published final [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, November 10
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House announced that it will spend $785 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support community-based organizations building vaccine confidence across communities of color, rural areas, and low-income populations; bolster the efforts of Tribal communities leading the way in mitigating the spread of the virus; expand public health systems’ ability to respond to [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, November 4
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 4. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. New Federal Vaccination Requirements CMS has unveiled its new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care providers that receive reimbursement from the federal government. The highlights include: CMS is requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The staff vaccination requirement applies to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider [...]
Nearly Half of Hospitals Nicked for Readmissions
Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction program will penalize 2499 hospitals for excessive readmissions in the coming year. That represents 47 percent of all hospitals covered by the program. The average penalty for the nearly 2500 hospitals will be a 0.64 percent reduction of their Medicare payments. Thirty-nine hospitals will suffer the maximum penalty: a three percent cut of their Medicare payments. Learn more about the effect the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has had on hospitals – and on patients admitted to the hospital with specific medical conditions – in the Kaiser [...]