After Congressional Prodding, CMS Announces Independence at Home Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Dec. 20 announced the creation of the Independence at Home program, a three-year initiative that will allow up to 10,000 Medicare patients to...
View ArticleHME Advocates Urged to Work with States on ‘Essential Health Benefits’
The federal Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that states will have more flexibility to define the “essential health benefits” provisions of health care reform that establish...
View ArticleHHS estimates savings from electronic standards at $4.5 billion over decade
New standards for electronic funds transfers in health care will save up to $4.5 billion in administrative costs for doctors and hospitals, private health plans, states and other government health...
View ArticleRepublicans complain about “free” label put on preventive services
Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee sent a letter last week to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius complaining about the Obama Administration referring to preventive services mandated by...
View ArticleNew regulations emerge for reporting and returning overpayments
Jeffrey S. Baird is chairman of the Health Care Group of Brown & Fortunato, a law firm based in Amarillo, Texas. He represents HME providers, pharmacies and other health care providers throughout...
View ArticleCourt decision on health care reform could impact HME industry
The Supreme Court’s expected decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 could have a big impact on the home medical equipment industry, the American Association for Homecare...
View ArticleACOs & HME
Accountable Care Organizations are the building blocks of opportunity ACO, the acronym for an Accountable Care Organization, is a buzzword these days in the health care industry. Nearly everybody has...
View ArticleCMS criticized for offsetting Medicare Advantage plan cuts
A report last week on Medicare Advantage plans criticized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) for improperly offsetting some cuts to the plans. At issue is a provision in health care...
View ArticleU.S. House dealing with growing number of health-related bills
A growing number of health-related issues are working their way on to the agenda of the U.S. House of Representatives. They include: a bill to repeal health care reform’s 2.3 percent medical device...
View ArticleU.S. health care spending expected to hit 20 percent GDP
WASHINGTON, June 12, 2012—Updated government estimates published in the journal Health Affairs indicate that health care spending in the U.S. will engulf almost one-fifth of the economy by 2021....
View ArticleUnitedHealthcare vows to keep health care reform protections
MINNETONKA, Minn., June 11, 2012–UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, announced that it will continue to offer popular protections included in the 2010 health care reform law, no...
View ArticleSupreme Court ruling includes challenges, opportunities for HME
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2012—Authorities say the Supreme Court’s ruling on health care reform will lead to many millions of uninsured Americans gaining coverage, and that means opportunities for the HME...
View ArticlePoll finds public support for expanding Medicaid program
MENLO PARK, Calif., July 31, 2012—A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation on the Supreme Court’s health care reform ruling found that a majority of Americans support expansion of the nation’s Medicaid...
View ArticleFacing the Facts
Understanding the new Medicare face-to-face requirement No Author: Cara C. Bachenheimer read more
View ArticleHHS: Administration moves forward to implement health care law
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 20, 2012—The Obama administration has moved forward to implement provisions in the health care law that would make it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against...
View ArticleHHS: Administration moves forward to implement health care law
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 20, 2012—The Obama administration has moved forward to implement provisions in the health care law that would make it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against...
View ArticleHHS estimates savings from electronic standards at $4.5 billion over decade
New standards for electronic funds transfers in health care will save up to $4.5 billion in administrative costs for doctors and hospitals, private health plans, states and other government health...
View ArticleGain Referrals by Reducing Readmissions
Effective this year, Section 3025 of the Affordable Care Act penalizes hospitals for COPD readmissions. During the next three years, hospitals will be charged a 3 percent penalty on all Medicare...
View ArticleFacing the Health Care Challenge
The home health care market is rapidly changing. The Affordable Care Act and competitive bidding have brought new regulatory challenges to the HME/DME marketplace. The pressure to compete has driven...
View ArticleEditors' Top Five Week of December 21
Congress Gives Big Funding Boost to NIH This was one of the rare years when Obama and lawmakers from both parties all agreed on the need for more medical research funding. (David Nather and Dylan...
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