Uncategorized

Providers Dominating No Surprise Act Dispute Resolution

Health care providers are winning the vast majority of payment disputes resolved under the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute Resolution process. Contrary to the expectation that the number of cases the process would adjudicate would decline once payers and providers got a better sense of what kinds of cases were being disputed and their outcome, the number of cases going into the process has only grown – considerably. And so has providers’ success rates. Providers won 70 percent of the disputes during the first quarter of 2023 and that rate rose to 87 percent by the fourth quarter of that [...]

joe2025-07-29T17:20:29-04:00July 30, 2025|Uncategorized|

Hospitals Shedding OB Services

Hospitals are closing down their obstetric services at an alarming rate – especially rural hospitals. According to a recent study: In eight states, more than two-thirds of rural hospitals do not offer OB services. In 2022, the majority of rural hospitals in three states – North Dakota, Oklahoma, and West Virginia – did not offer OB services. More than 40 percent of rural hospitals ended their OB services between 2010 and 2022 in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida. Between 2010 and 2022, only three states – Delaware, Utah, and Vermont – saw no termination of OB programs. During [...]

joe2025-07-10T15:10:54-04:00July 14, 2025|Uncategorized|

Federal Health Policy Update for June 26

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 20-26. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Senate Majority Leader Thune and House Speaker Johnson continue to press for passage of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” by July 4, the deadline set by President Trump. Leader Thune had hoped to bring the bill to the Senate floor early this week but continued disagreements over cuts to Medicaid have slowed progress. Earlier this week, in an attempt to assuage senators’ concerns that the bill’s Medicaid cuts would imperil rural hospitals, [...]

joe2025-06-26T16:56:14-04:00June 26, 2025|Uncategorized|

Sneak Peek at HHS Budget Reveals Reorganization, Cuts

A big-picture document summarizing the Trump administration’s intentions for the Department of Health and Human Services suggests the agency is in for a major round of cuts and reorganization, some of which is already underway. Among the cuts noted in the 64-page document are a $20 billion cut (40 percent) in the National Institutes of Health budget; a $4 billion cut (44 percent) in the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that would eliminate the agency’s work on chronic disease programs; the elimination of a number of rural health programs; and the elimination of all funding for [...]

joe2025-04-22T15:14:40-04:00April 23, 2025|Uncategorized|

Keeping Track of HHS Reorganization

Late last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a major reorganization and downsizing of its agencies and operations. Those efforts have already begun, and the following is a selection of news reports describing the changes that have taken place so far: Washington Post – “Major cuts are set to hit HHS. Here’s what’s affected” (March 27) (subscription required) Healthcare Dive – “Trump administration to shut down CMS, HHS minority health offices amid restructuring” (March 31) Fierce Healthcare – “Sweeping health agency cuts at FDA, CDC, CMS and more divisions begin” (April 1) Healthcare Dive – “HHS begins [...]

joe2025-04-02T11:08:05-04:00April 2, 2025|Uncategorized|

Executive Order Seeks to Reduce Federal Regulations

A new executive order issued by the Trump administration calls for a significant reduction in federal regulations. Describing many current federal regulations as overly complex, burdensome, and obstacles to economic growth and innovation, the order directs that Unless prohibited by law, whenever an executive department or agency (agency) publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it shall identify at least 10 existing regulations to be repealed. The executive order also states that For fiscal year 2025, which is in progress, the heads of all agencies are directed to ensure that the total incremental cost of [...]

joe2025-02-04T16:06:30-05:00February 5, 2025|Medicaid regulations, Medicare regulations, Uncategorized|

New Client

DeBrunner & Associates is pleased to welcome our newest client: the Delaware Healthcare Association. The Delaware Healthcare Association is a statewide trade and membership services organization that exists to represent and serve hospitals, health systems, and related health care organizations in their role of providing a continuum of appropriate, cost-effective, quality care to improve the health of the people of Delaware. The association views its primary role as that of serving as a leader in the promotion of effective change in health services through collaboration and consensus building on health care issues at the state and federal levels. Welcome Delaware [...]

joe2025-01-29T16:18:37-05:00January 30, 2025|Uncategorized|

New Client

DeBrunner & Associates is pleased to welcome our newest client: Maxim Healthcare Services. Maxim’s team of nurses, behavioral health therapists, caregivers, and other clinicians help patients of all ages maintain their quality of life in the comfort of their homes. Maxim specializes in private duty nursing (PDN), also known as continuous skilled-nursing (CSN) home care, for medically-complex and vulnerable patients under Medicaid. Many patients require assistive technology such as ventilators and tracheostomies to sustain life. Maxim is a national provider of home health care services, serving clients in 39 states and the District of Columbia. DeBrunner will consult with Maxim [...]

joe2024-11-19T16:28:49-05:00November 20, 2024|DeBrunner & Associates, Uncategorized|

HHS Acts on IV Shortage

The Department of Health and Human Services has initiated a series of steps to help restore the supply of IV solution that was greatly reduced by damage to a Baxter International Inc.’s facility in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene. Among those steps are: posting FDA guidance providing flexibility for compounding IV solution alternatives; extending the expiration dates of existing IV products; airlifting new supplies into and around the country; working with other manufacturers to increase production capacity; helping Baxter clean up and restore its North Carolina plant and invoking the Defense Production Act toward that end; and more. Learn more [...]

joe2024-10-15T17:30:39-04:00October 16, 2024|Uncategorized|

Administration Launches Patient Safety Initiatives

In response to World Patient Safety Day, the administration has launched a multi-faceted approach to reducing harm for patients and workers in the delivery of health care. The initiative will fall under the umbrella of a new multi-agency, public/private National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety administered by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Other federal agencies to be involved in the initiative include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Defense, the Health Resources and Services [...]

joe2024-09-19T17:44:03-04:00September 23, 2024|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Uncategorized|