Veronica Graff, Author at The Hertel Report

Veronica Graff

Business journalist and recent graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with minors in business and philosophy. Emphasis in financial, economic and market reporting. Regular contributor to The Hertel Report.

Author's Posts

Arizona News

The Role of SNFs, Long-Term Care Amid Pandemic

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued guidance to nursing homes in an effort to mitigate the spread of coronavirus among vulnerable patients following a surge in cases in a matter of days for hundreds of facilities...

Arizona News

CMS Issues Temporary Stark Law Waivers in Coronavirus Response

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now issuing several blanket waivers of certain provisions of the Stark Law, retroactive to Mar. 1, 2020, to ensure sufficient care is available for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring patients for certain healthcare services...

Arizona News

Judge Rules Medicare Patients Can Appeal Hospitals' Observation Status

In a March 24 ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael Shea granted Medicare patients the constitutional right to challenge hospital decisions putting them on observation status. The class action case favored beneficiaries who had their status changed by hospitals to observation, despite having initially been admitted by...

CMS Rules

Accelerated and Advanced Medicare Payments Offer Physicians Relief Amid Pandemic

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding its accelerated and advanced payment program for Medicare providers to support hospitals and doctors on the front lines of the rapidly spreading, global pandemic. Taking advantage of the recently established Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security...

Arizona News

CMS Relaxes Value-Based Purchasing Reporting Requirements Amid Global Pandemic

Hospitals and providers participating in Medicare quality value-based purchasing programs received unprecedented relief on Sunday from a Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement that relaxes reporting requirements and extends data submission deadlines. The action is part of the Trump Administration's response...

Arizona News

Employer Groups Express Hospital Pricing Woes

Hospital prices continue to be scrutinized as employer groups deem costs way too high and pressure from the Trump Administration to publish negotiated prices increases. According to a Rand report, significant discrepancies were found between what private health plans pay for hospital services versus Medicare, highlighting that...

National News

Potential CMS Star Rating Methodology Changes Raises Concerns

As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) considers possible changes to the methodology it uses to calculate hospital star ratings, some experts are worried the proposed adjustments do not adequately account for patient needs. The agency announced in August plans to update the quality measurement methodology of the...

CMS Rules

Value-Based Purchasing and the Decline in Hospital Readmission Rates

A new analysis of the decline in hospital readmission rates suggests ties to a drop in hospital admissions all together, rather than a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) value-based purchasing program as previously credited. The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is a value-based purchasing...

Arizona News

Hacienda Doctor Concedes License

The Hacienda Healthcare physician responsible for performing regular exams on an incapacitated patient, whose rape was only brought to light after unexpectedly giving birth to a baby boy in December, has surrendered his medical license. According to a Nov. 8 consent order from the Arizona Medical Board, Dr. Phillip Gear...

News

Arizona Prison Suit to Renegotiate Settlement Terms

As the state continues to drag its feet in meeting settlement agreements, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver is giving the Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC) 60 days to renegotiate a 2014 settlement. The state is currently fighting $1.4 million in noncompliance fines and faces another $1.7 million for its continued failure to...

CMS Rules

CMS: Medicare Part B Premium Rates and Deductibles to Rise

Medicare beneficiaries will see a 7 percent increase in monthly premiums and annual deductibles for 2020 Part B coverage, which takes care of physician services, outpatient hospital services, explicit home health services and durable medical equipment. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the rates for...

CMS Rules

Trump Administration Backs Off on Price Transparency Proposal

After the publication of the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) on Friday, the Trump Administration is holding off on a controversial transparency rule that would require hospitals to publicly post all privately negotiated payer rates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has promised to issue a "forthcoming...

Arizona News

Recommendations From State Task Force, An Attempt to Prevent Hacienda-like Scandal

A state task force established by Gov. Doug Ducey after an incapacitated woman in the care of Hacienda Healthcare was raped and gave birth last December, issued a report with recommendations to help prevent future incidents. The 28-page report included 30 recommendations, among them are: improving reporting requirements, better...

National News

Study Indicates Racial Bias in Healthcare Software Algorithms

The U.S. healthcare system's utilization of a common commercial software platform, crucial in informing treatment decisions for millions of patients has a major flaw--racial bias. An algorithm, widely used as guidance for the care of millions, is found to use health costs as a proxy for health needs, according to a research study...

Arizona News

Women in Healthcare: C-Suite Executive Positions

Healthcare experts evaluated the gender imbalance in C-suite and leadership positions in the healthcare industry and found it is not an intentional effort to keep women out of the top, but a question of trust, where males have the upper hand in building personal and professional connections. A 2019 report from consulting firm...

National News

San Francisco Start-up Targets Medical Billing

San Francisco-based start-up Ooda Health announced the launch of its cloud-based software platform focused on relieving the administrative burdens of medical billing for payers and providers. Oodapay places the responsibility of cumulating patient payments on payers rather than the physician or hospital. The company is working on...

National News

Social Media Titan Develops Preventative Health Tool

Facebook finally takes the plunge into the healthcare sector with its new "Preventative Health" tool in collaboration with four major medical groups. The tool prompts its users to get regular checkups and emphasizes cardiovascular health, cancer screening and the seasonal flu. The social media giant partnered with the American...

Arizona News

Arizona Doctors Take Home Millions from Drug and Device Companies

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies spent more than $53 million on Arizona doctors in 2018 for intellectual property, consulting and services such as public speaking. Arizona ranked 14th among all U.S. states, with the top collector being California at $306 million. The payments are published every year by nonprofit...

National News

Healthcare's Digital Transformation: AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been portrayed as a double-edged sword in the healthcare community—equally uncertain and perplexing as it is revolutionary and hyper-efficient. Its implications are incessantly discussed, but at the center of AI arguments is its promising returns of billions. Market research company ReportLinker...

National News

Seattle Nonprofit Health Plan Accused of Fraudulent Medicare Billing

One of the country's oldest nonprofit health insurance plans allegedly exploited Medicare of millions; Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative was taken to federal court in a whistleblower case. Filing suit against the health plan is one of the company's former medical billing managers, Teresa Ross, who alleges that Group Health...

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