The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced they would pay the 1,600 hospitals that participate in the 340B drug discount program a total of $9 billion in lump sum payments in response to the Supreme Court decision that found the program underpaid for prescription drugs. But the Medicare program also announced that it...
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed suit against the federal government, challenging the Medicare drug price negotiation program.
The lawsuit is the second of an expected many against the new program which was authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act last summer. The Chamber of Commerce, which refers to itself as the "world's...
Nursing homes are decrying the severity of the nursing workforce shortage as the minimum staffing proposal looms large.
More than 500 nursing home providers joined a protest on Capitol Hill this week to sound the alarm on legislation that could implement a minimum staffing measure for nursing homes. According to Skilled Nursing News,...CMS Rules
Last Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it would reverse course on anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer's patients and cover Leqembi should it receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). June is Alzheimer's Awareness month.
Leqembi, produced by Biogen and Eisai,...National News
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck has filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an effort to stop Medicare drug price negotiations before they even begin.
The company filed its lawsuit on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., and said that the drug price negotiation program would necessarily violate the company's...
Beginning next week, every skilled nursing facility in the country will undergo a five-claim audit as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to get improper payments under control. Meanwhile, nursing homes are expressing concern about the effects that Medicaid redeterminations and subsequent disenrollment's could have...
Today is the last day of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and policies are rapidly shifting to accommodate the post-pandemic healthcare landscape in the U.S.
On Tuesday, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that it would continue allowances for telehealth companies to prescribe controlled substances for six...
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed two new rules that would require private entities that manage Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) plans to enforce national maximum standards for appointment wait times and will require managed care organizations (MCOs) to monitor compliance.
The...Arizona Comings & Goings
On Tuesday, CVS Health announced that it had completed its acquisition of Oak Street Health, a primary care provider which boasts 170 medical centers in 21 states. The acquisition is the latest in a long line of efforts by retailers to break into healthcare.
CVS Health paid $10.6 billion in cash for the network, and intends to grow...National News
As pressure mounts from stakeholders and lawmakers, Eli Lilly, producer of the experimental Alzheimer's antibody drug donanemab, is saying that it expects the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse its prohibition of anti-amyloids.
A bipartisan group of nearly half of U.S. state attorneys general sent a letter to...National Reports & Surveys
The American Hospital Association's study showed Medicare patients who receive outpatient hospital care are more likely to come from an underserved community than those treated in independent physician offices (IPO) or ambulatory surgical centers (ASC).
The study, "Comparison of Medicare Beneficiary Characteristics Between Hospital...
A crisis of mental health continues to grip the U.S. and Arizona, with a special focus on young people struggling with mental and behavioral health issues.
In Arizona, the patients with serious mental illness (SMI) at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) may fall under the care of new management if a bill passes Arizona's legislature this...
Lawmakers and stakeholders are still very upset with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) plan to cut payments to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and to enforce regulations against MA plans that have benefitted financially from improper overpayments. This week, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra defended the rule in two...
On Tuesday, the White House released a plan that it says will keep the Medicare Trust Fund solvent for at least 25 more years. In an op-ed, the President made the case for his plan, stressing that tax hikes on high earners would be crucial for the plan to work.
The plan will increase taxes on people who make more than $400,000 per...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will allow Arizona to continue operating its own state plan for worker safety and health. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offer insight into life without the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an...
While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are moving forward with tighter regulations on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, the Heritage Foundation argues that freeing MA from the constraints of Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) payment rates and making it the default Medicare enrollment system would offer a solution to...
Industry stakeholders and patient advocacy organizations are urging Congress to pass legislation that would solidify telehealth waivers passed by the CARES Act during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
The vast majority of providers see telehealth as an opportunity to improve patient services and 94% of patients who have had...
Nursing homes continue to experience the worst job loss of any other healthcare sector according to new analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), but Congress is cautioning against the use of skilled nursing facility (SNF) staffing minimums planned by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Also, CMS is working to...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug Leqembi (lecanemab) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, but patients will have a difficult time accessing the treatment due to Medicare rules and a hefty price tag.
Leqembi, developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer Eisai and its stateside partner...
A new study by West Health Institute analyzed survey responses from 7,246 American clinicians who offer telehealth to adults.
Telehealth use for senior care increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitated by waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These services are well regarded for cutting costs,...