Susan Morse

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Healthcare organizations ask HHS to delay quality measure reporting for ACOs

Citing rushed implementation, unanswered questions and potential negative consequences to patient care, 11 healthcare organizations are calling on the Biden administration to delay and make changes to mandated quality measure reporting for accountable …

HHS launches new vaccine reimbursement program for providers

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, has announced a new program for providers to cover the cost of administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that either do no…

Moderna to supply 34 million doses to India and other countries in Q4 

Moderna has announced an agreement to supply up to 500 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to an international organization that is getting the vaccines to poorer countries.
An initial 34 million doses are expected to be delivered during the fourth q…

CMS adopts payment provisions to lower costs in the 2022 marketplace

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has adopted new provisions to lower maximum out-of-pocket costs by $400 in the federal health insurance marketplaces in 2022.
The payment notice finalizes a maximum annual limitation on cost-sharing in th…

BCBS members receive notice of $2.7B antitrust settlement

Millions of Blue Cross and Blue Shield beneficiaries are receiving notices that they may be eligible for a share of a $2.7 billion antitrust settlement that was settled last October.
Claims must be filed by November 5.

In his first joint address, Biden promotes giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices

President Joe Biden’s joint address to Congress tonight held promises for the future of healthcare.
Biden wants to continue the lower premiums in the Affordable Care Act that are available under the American Rescue Plan, lower deductibles in the ACA an…

CMS releases hospital quality star ratings

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday released the overall hospital quality star ratings that now include new methodology in five measure groups.
 
CMS rated over 4,500 hospitals from 1 to 5 stars, with five representing the highe…

Hospital payments increase 2.8% under CMS proposed rule

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has updated the Medicare fee-for-service payment rates and policies for inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals for 2022. 

Supply chain needs clinical integration to develop a standardized, physician-led process

For the supply chain to work efficiently, physicians need to be involved in decision-making. But physicians must also be onboard with the strategy to take variation out of the system.

CDC committee reaffirms Johnson & Johnson vaccine recommendation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 10-4 with one abstention to recommend the Janssen Johnson & Johnson vaccine for persons age 18 and over, under the Food and Drug Administration’s Emerge…