Last Thursday, President Joe Biden announced new vaccine requirements for the American public, mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for 100 million Americans including all healthcare workers.
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health...
This month has been busy for insurance fraud claims both big and huge, from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) intervening on a False Claims Act suit to the State of Pennsylvania's Medicaid program finding fault with Aetna to former players in the National Football League (NFL) defrauding the NFL Player's association retirement health...
Comments on the Calendar Year 2022 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule are now closed as of September 13. Changes to Medicare Part B payment policies as well as updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP) are included in the annual PFS rule. Providers broadly oppose Medicare...National News
The Biden administration announced last Friday that it would make available $25.5 billion in provider relief funding to offset revenue loss and higher expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Fierce Healthcare, funding will be used for reimbursing smaller providers that generally operate on thin margins and to boost...Arizona News
The joint venture between Banner Health and Aetna/CVS already offers employer-sponsored health plans in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties.
The expansion includes Flagstaff and promises to deliver greater value to local employers through lower premium costs for in-network-only plans and provide employees with more choice of providers...National News
Earlier this year, The American Rescue Plan provided larger financial assistance to help cover insurance premiums for Affordable Care Act enrollees through 2022. This Friday, House Democrats proposed making this assistance permanent as part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package.According to Modern Healthcare, the...National News
On Friday, the Biden administration released a notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at consumer protection and transparency. The proposal includes reporting requirements for air ambulance services, as well as agent and broker disclosures for insurers.
According to Healthcare Dive, the agent and broker disclosure portion of the rule...National News
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to repeal a rule from January 2021 allowing Medicare to cover medical devices designated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “breakthrough technology” – or any new technology that attempts to improve care for people with life-threatening conditions. The rule...
In August, Desert Wells Family Medicine in Queen Creek reported that in May cybercriminals breached unsecured protected health information in a ransomware attack that corrupted provider medical records impacting 35,000. Arizona's Mercy Grace Private Practice was also hacked in December 2020 affecting 4,450 patients, according to the most...
In Arizona, 40,827 consumers signed up for individual or family healthcare coverage during the special enrollment period (SEP) on HealthCare.gov that ended August 15. Even with expanded subsidies, ACA plans faced competition, often in the form of unscrupulous brokers hawking limited benefit plans, according to an analysis by The...
On September 8, there were 2,222 new cases of COVID-19 reported and 26 new deaths. The total number of deaths in Arizona crossed the 19,000 mark earlier this week. The vaccination rate is still 56.5% of Arizonans, with 6,384 new doses distributed today. In hospitals, 9% of intensive care unit beds are available, 32% of ICU beds are...
This week a large amount of analysis on how the Affordable Care Act, insurance rates and private insurance faired during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Also, due to increased enrollment during the special enrollment period and the need for health insurance spurred by pandemic-related job loss has encouraged insurance giant...
As Texas continues on course to implement the de facto ban on abortion following the Supreme Court decision to allow the law to stand, medical industry groups are voicing their concerns. But in Arizona, groups that have pursued similar bans in the past are looking forward to the next legislative session.
According to U.S. News and...
Spending per beneficiary is growing faster in Medicare Advantage (MA) and private plans than traditional Medicare and Part D prescription drug plans, according to the MedPAC analysis.
Modern Healthcare reports that the spending disparity has experts concerned, considering that Medicare Advantage enrollment is surging, currently...
The decision is binding on all hospitals in Arizona, eliminating any chance that hospitals will be able to recover from pharmacies any alleged financial losses caused by the opioid epidemic.
In 2018, Tucson Medical Center (TMC) filed a lawsuit claiming CVS was part of a conspiracy of drug manufacturers and others that promoted the use...
In the midst of an ongoing staffing shortage, long-term care facilities are looking at new leadership, increased funding, and innovative policies to retain current workers.
In an interview with Skilled Nursing News, incoming president and CEO of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) Bob Lane discussed a necessary...
On September 1, Governor Doug Ducey announced $60 million to support hospitals and healthcare facilities struggling with staffing across the state. According to the Arizona Public Health Association, the funding will “go toward contracts for a total of 750 nurses that will be available to work at qualifying hospitals for an 8-week...
The September policy paper posits that the profit motive in medicine may contribute to a bloated, complex and fragmented healthcare system.
Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine the position paper is titled "Financial Profit in Medicine," and contends principles of professionalism and medical ethics should ensure medicine...
With a referral from an educational institution, underinsured and uninsured students can receive counseling and therapy for anxiety, depression, social isolation, and other behavioral health needs.
With funding appropriated during the 2020 Arizona Legislative session, underinsured or uninsured Arizona children enrolled in pre-K...
Several healthcare fraud cases have advanced or resolved this month, including the case of Elizabeth Holmes, who got state lawmakers and Governor Doug Ducey to change Arizona law in 2015 to financially benefit her company.
Holmes goes to trial this week on charges of fraud and conspiracy after she “knowingly misrepresented the...
This week, Arizona hit two new milestones in relation to COVID-19: 1 million cases since the start of the pandemic and 4 million men, women, and children over age 12 who have now received at least one dose of the vaccine. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, more than 3.5 million Arizonans are fully vaccinated, or...
A widespread nursing shortage continues to put strain on Arizona hospitals and hospitals across the nation. The shortage began well before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has only exacerbated the problem.
National Nurses United asserts the United States is not experiencing a nursing shortage, but rather a shortage of nurses willing to...
The Medicare Trustees 2021 Report was released Tuesday, August 31. As in previous years, the Trustees have determined that the HI trust fund is not adequately financed over the next 10 years and will be depleted by 2026.
From the report:
In 2020, HI expenditures exceeded income by $60.4 billion due to the large amount of accelerated...
This week, Cigna announced plans for Marketplace customers in three new states – Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania – as well as in additional counties in Arizona, Florida and Virginia. The Arizona Association of Community Health Centers (AACHC)/Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers received $2.3M in navigator...
Delta Airlines announced a plan Wednesday to charge their unvaccinated employees an additional $200 a month in their insurance premiums. The reason for the surcharge is simple: the average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person. The additional charge is largely intended to motivate the unvaccinated to get their...
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