Medicare graduate medical education

Federal Health Policy Update for October 27

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for the week of October 21 to October 27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. 340B Responding to a federal court ruling that the federal government has shortchanged hospitals in its payments for 340B-covered prescription drugs, CMS has announced how it will compensate hospitals for its underpayments – at least for the 2023 fiscal year. According to CMS, it “…will apply the default rate (generally ASP plus 6%) to 340B-acquired drugs for the rest of the year. CMS also will reprocess claims [...]

iqtsupport2022-10-27T17:06:24-04:00October 27, 2022|340b, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid regulations for long-term care, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. White House The White House has announced a series of steps designed to increase the availability of oral treatments for COVID-19. Those steps include nearly doubling the number of places oral antivirals are available in the coming weeks; launching a new effort to establish federally-supported test-to-treat sites; supporting medical providers with more guidance and tools to understand and prescribe treatments; and communicating to the public that safe, effective [...]

iqtsupport2022-04-28T17:23:03-04:00April 28, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Congress Approves New GME Slots

The year-end federal COVID-19 relief bill brought changes to Medicare’s graduate medical education program. Among those changes: 200 new GME slots over the next five years additional federal funding for residency training – the first new funding for the program in nearly a quarter of a century new opportunities for some hospitals to establish new (and higher) resident caps new flexibilities for rural hospitals to participate in physician training programs Learn more in the National Law Review article “COVID-19: Reimbursement Corner: Graduate Medical Education Gets Major Boost From Congressional Appropriations Bill.”

iqtsupport2021-01-06T06:00:33-05:00January 6, 2021|Medicare|

CMS Finalizes FY 2021 Payments to Hospitals

Medicare has announced how it will pay hospitals for inpatient care in FY 2021 with publication of its annual inpatient prospective payment system regulation last week. Among the changes announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: A 2.9 percent increase in fee-for-service inpatient rates. A compromise on its proposal to require hospitals to report their payer-specific negotiated rates with Medicare Advantage plans. Changes in how Medicare will calculate Medicare disproportionate share (Medicare DSH) uncompensated care payments. A much smaller cut than originally proposed in the pool of funds for Medicare DSH uncompensated care payments. Minor adjustments in the [...]

iqtsupport2020-09-09T06:00:15-04:00September 9, 2020|hospitals, Medicaid regulations, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Medicare Money for Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Training?

Should Medicare offer graduate medical education money for nurse practitioner and physician assistant training? That was the subject of a recent inquiry by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In a new report inspired by concern over the current physician shortage and the belief that making greater use of nurse practitioners might help relieve that shortage, the GAO examined whether expanding Medicare’s graduate medical education (GME) program to include resources for the training of nurse practitioners and physician assistants was practical or possible. As part of its research, the GAO reviewed current literature, interviewed officials of professional associations, and explored the [...]

iqtsupport2019-12-20T06:00:27-05:00December 20, 2019|Medicare|