Medicare value-based purchasing programs

MedPAC Looks to the Year Ahead

In anticipation of the start of its 2026-2027 public meeting cycle next month, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has published a summary of its anticipated analytic agenda for that period. The major components of that agenda are: recent trends in Medicare Part D (prescription drug) spending the processes and information involved in beneficiary enrollment in Medicare the effect of Medicare’s quality measurement and value-based purchasing programs on quality and value the adequacy of Medicare fee-for-service payments and payment recommendations for the upcoming year further analysis of the Medicare Advantage program Learn more from this MedPAC message to its constituents.

joe2026-08-27T11:30:47-04:00August 31, 2026|Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

Federal Health Policy Update for August 27

Don’t Miss: Homeland Security proposes new six-figure H-1B visa fee CMS announces refinement of critical access hospital status evaluation HHS seeks feedback on relative of childhood vaccines The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 21-27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House will return from recess next Monday, August 31 and the Senate returns on September 14. Funding for the federal government expires after September 30. H-1B Visas The Department of Homeland Security has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking calling for a $103,265 fee [...]

joe2026-08-27T16:40:49-04:00August 27, 2026|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

Mandatory Value-Based Programs Increase Hospital Costs

While policymakers continue to pursue mandatory Medicare value-based programs at least in part to help reduce taxpayers’ costs for Medicare, they may be robbing Peter to pay Paul. According to a new study, hospitals that participate in federally mandated Medicare value-based purchasing programs face increased administrative costs for doing so even while federal agencies maintain that the programs are saving taxpayer money. Brown University researchers examined 15 years of hospital cost reports and found that participation in Medicare’s Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program cost hospitals about $650,000 a year in added administrative [...]

joe2026-08-13T16:41:29-04:00August 17, 2026|hospitals, Medicare|

Readmissions Reduction Program Results Overstated?

A new study suggests that the encouraging results of Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program may not actually be as encouraging as people thought. According to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs, data on reduced readmissions may be more the result of changes in hospital coding practices than improved quality performance by hospitals. The report suggests that new industry standards for reporting were implemented at roughly the same time Medicare launched the value-based purchasing program and may account for most or even all of the reported improved performance by hospitals. Learn more from the Health Affairs study “Decreases [...]

iqtsupport2019-01-14T06:00:42-05:00January 14, 2019|Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy|