Author's posts
Aetna, Apple partner on personalized health app
The new health app will provide Aetna members using an Apple Watch with personalized health goals and recommendations as well as the ability to track their daily activity levels.
Medicare Advantage plans see smaller rate hikes for 2020
The CMS proposed increasing the baseline Medicare Advantage payment rates for 2020 by 1.59%, well below the 3.4% rate hike plans received in 2019.
Hospitals push HHS to align reporting requirements for health IT to ease burden
Hospital and health IT groups say that the CMS and ONC must do more to align reporting requirements to avoid duplication.
Hospital CFOs losing confidence they can adapt to new business models
A new Kaufman Hall survey finds hospital and health system CFOs are losing confidence that their organizations can manage the financial effects of evolving business conditions.
Wall Street is betting on health insurance industry
Publicly traded health insurers are performing better financially than other healthcare players, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, according to a panel of Wall Street analysts at a Nashville Health Care Council event.
Midwest hospitals running as usual despite freezing temps
Hospitals throughout the Midwest operated at full or near capacity levels on Wednesday in spite of a massive cold front that caused many other businesses to close.
UnitedHealth pulling out of HCCI may mean no new data after 2017
UnitedHealthcare’s decision to stop sharing data with the Health Care Cost Institute could jeopardize the not-for-profit organization’s ability to refresh its data for researchers beyond calendar year 2017.
Stark, anti-kickback rulemaking underway at HHS
HHS is ramping up its work to overhaul Stark Law and anti-kickback regulations in what HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan characterized as a “sprint” to reform rules as part of the shift toward paying for value.
Utah Republicans advance limited Medicaid expansion bill
Utah Senate Republicans are racing to replace the state’s voter-approved Medicaid expansion with a more limited expansion model that would require an unprecedented CMS waiver.
VA releases proposed access standards for community care
The designated access standards include setting a 30-minute average drive time standard, or 20-day wait-time standard for veterans to seek primary care, mental health or non-institutional extended care from the private sector.
