June 11, 2021 TARA BANNOW & JESSIE HELLMANN
Hospitals and other provider groups expressed relief at the Biden administration’s decision Friday to grant them more time to spend COVID-19 relief grants.
Category: News
CMS won’t extend the Next Generation ACO Model through 2022
May 21, 2021 MICHAEL BRADY
CMS won’t extend the Next Generation ACO Model through 2022 but will allow participants to apply for the standard track of its Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model, the agency said in a letter to Next Gens on Friday.
Scripps cyberattack highlights patient safety risks during breaches
May 14, 2021 01:11 PM LISA GILLESPIE & JESSICA KIM COHEN
Last Tuesday, Jason Cabot prepped for an abdominal surgery: he fasted for 24 hours and drank three tablespoons of intestine-cleansing milk of magnesia. But until he showed up at 5:30 a.m. the next day at Scripps Mercy Health in San Diego, he had no idea if the surgery was going to happen.
Acute-care hospitals see higher star ratings on new CMS methodology
April 28, 2021 LISA GILLESPIE
Nearly one-third of hospitals scored higher star ratings under CMS’ new methodology that’s meant to create a clearer picture of quality and safety, according to data released Wednesday.
Private equity’s estimated healthcare spending halved in first quarter
April 15, 2021 TARA BANNOW
Private equity’s estimated investment in healthcare in the first quarter of 2021 was half of its total in the final quarter of 2020, when the broader economy was recovering from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. recommends ‘pause’ for J&J vaccine over clot reports
April 13, 2021 Associated Press
The U.S. is recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.
Threat of Medicaid cuts weighs on outlook for safety-net providers
March 27, 2021 Maggie Van Dyke
It’s budget season in most states, meaning safety-net hospitals are anxiously waiting to hear whether their Medicaid payments will be cut.
OCR Settles Seventeenth Investigation in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative
March 24, 2021
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces its seventeenth settlement of an enforcement action in its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative. OCR announced this initiative to support individuals’ right to timely access to their health records at a reasonable cost under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
MedPAC cautious on permanent telehealth expansion
March 15, 2021 MICHAEL BRADY
Despite enthusiasm for telehealth among consumers, politicians and many in the healthcare industry, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission doesn’t want fee-for-service Medicare to go all-in on telehealth until federal policymakers have more evidence about how it affects the program, according to a MedPAC report on Monday.
Healthcare industry gearing up to try to find common ground with Biden
March 06, 2021 Lola Butcher
The Biden administration is starting out in lockstep with every sector of the healthcare industry: All agree that the top priority must be addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and every other issue is a distant second.