Here are 12 issues dealing with Medicare or Medicaid that occurred in the past week, starting with the most recent.
1. There are eight national for-profit hospital chains based in or near Nashville, Tenn., and they stand to lose roughly $22.7 billion in 2014 alone if states decide to pass on the Medicaid expansion.
2. Five hospital groups sent a letter to Congress opposing any legislation that would cap total Medicare payments for non-emergency department evaluation and management services in hospital outpatient departments.
3. Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems and Arizona's Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, agreed to a one-year contract extension with Vanguard's Medicaid managed care plan.
4. Between 2013 and 2022, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will call for $716 billion in Medicare payment reductions, and eight states will bear the brunt of those cuts.
5. A new report found that up to 766,000 healthcare and related jobs could be lost by 2021 as a result of the 2 percent sequester of Medicare spending mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.
6. Researchers found CMS' Physician Group Practice Demonstration — the precursor trial to accountable care organizations — yielded significant savings, particularly for dual eligibles.
7. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, said he would support the expansion of Medicaid in his state after he received assurance the state could opt out later if it wanted.
8. Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program payments to-date have surpassed $6.5 billion for eligible hospitals, eligible professionals and critical access hospitals.
9. The high costs of Medicare have their impacts on the national deficit, but they are also bankrupting many Medicare beneficiaries. A new study found that the median out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries was $22,885, and the mean out-of-pocket expenses was $38,688.
10. More than 100 national and state religious leaders who are part of the advocacy group Faith in Public Life signed a statement in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
11. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that healthcare providers cannot challenge Medicare Recovery Auditors' review of claims that are more than a year old.
12. California will receive a 6 percent increase in federal matching Medicaid funds for its Community First Choice Option, a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that incentivizes states to provide home health services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities in the community rather than a nursing home.
1. There are eight national for-profit hospital chains based in or near Nashville, Tenn., and they stand to lose roughly $22.7 billion in 2014 alone if states decide to pass on the Medicaid expansion.
2. Five hospital groups sent a letter to Congress opposing any legislation that would cap total Medicare payments for non-emergency department evaluation and management services in hospital outpatient departments.
3. Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems and Arizona's Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, agreed to a one-year contract extension with Vanguard's Medicaid managed care plan.
4. Between 2013 and 2022, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will call for $716 billion in Medicare payment reductions, and eight states will bear the brunt of those cuts.
5. A new report found that up to 766,000 healthcare and related jobs could be lost by 2021 as a result of the 2 percent sequester of Medicare spending mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.
6. Researchers found CMS' Physician Group Practice Demonstration — the precursor trial to accountable care organizations — yielded significant savings, particularly for dual eligibles.
7. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, said he would support the expansion of Medicaid in his state after he received assurance the state could opt out later if it wanted.
8. Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program payments to-date have surpassed $6.5 billion for eligible hospitals, eligible professionals and critical access hospitals.
9. The high costs of Medicare have their impacts on the national deficit, but they are also bankrupting many Medicare beneficiaries. A new study found that the median out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries was $22,885, and the mean out-of-pocket expenses was $38,688.
10. More than 100 national and state religious leaders who are part of the advocacy group Faith in Public Life signed a statement in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
11. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that healthcare providers cannot challenge Medicare Recovery Auditors' review of claims that are more than a year old.
12. California will receive a 6 percent increase in federal matching Medicaid funds for its Community First Choice Option, a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that incentivizes states to provide home health services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities in the community rather than a nursing home.
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