‘Bravo Congress’: Telehealth groups cheer omnibus extension of COVID-19 flexibilities
However, the American Telemedicine Association and other virtual care lobbies said there was more to do to enshrine telehealth access into American law.
Medtronic starts US robotic surgery trial in push to challenge Intuitive
Medtronic delayed the Hugo program to make changes in light of surgeon feedback, but now plans to evaluate the use of the surgical robot in urologic procedures, facing off against competitor Intuitive.
The Advocate-Atrium merger closed without an antitrust challenge. What does that mean for competition in 2023?
Health systems have morphed into multi-regional players through acquisitions, but have evaded federal antitrust enforcement, raising questions about the future of policing merger deals.
Centene reaches $44M settlement with Iowa
It’s the latest deal in a string of settlements to resolve allegations the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care organization overcharged states for pharmacy services.
Stakes are high in California’s Medicaid market shakeup
Four insurers that lost out on lucrative contracts in the state’s first-ever competitive process are challenging the managed care provider selections.
Judge questions surprise billing ban implementation during court hearing
A federal judge tested the government’s defense concerning a rule designed to help third parties resolve payment disputes between healthcare providers and insurers.
High-intensity billing in ERs has increased, but not only due to upcoding, research suggests
The proportion of emergency room visits billed as “high intensity” that don’t result in a hospitalization has grown, reflecting the ER’s shifting role in the acute care ecosystem, according to a Health Affairs study.
HHS releases ownership data on nation’s hospitals
“We are pulling back the curtain and letting the sunshine in on hospital and nursing home ownership because it is what the public deserves,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Tuesday in a statement.
Government watchdog warns of Medicare fraud after relaxing provider requirements
The Government Accountability Office is urging the CMS to resume certain eligibility checks on providers whom they consider at high risk of fraud to the Medicare program.
Omnibus bill restarts Medicaid checks, lowers Medicare physician pay cuts
Lawmakers are rushing to speed passage of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package as they near a Friday deadline for government funding.