By 2016, the uninsured rates among the Golden State’s white, black and Asian populations were nearly equal. But other disparities persist, and all of these rates are highly policy-dependent.
Category: FierceHealthPayer
8 results we’re watching on Election Day with big healthcare implications
From the four female doctors running for a seat in Congress to state ballot initiatives that could expand Medicaid, there’s plenty to pay attention to on Tuesday. Here’s what we’ll be keeping a close eye on as the election results come in.
Big wins for Medicaid: Voters in Idaho, Utah and Nebraska approve expansion
Medicaid expansion was on the ballot in three historically Republican states, and voters came out in support of the measure in all three. Nebraska, Utah and Idaho voted to expand the program, while Montana voted down a measure to increase tobacco taxes…
EHR, PHR or something in between? UnitedHealth’s tech venture prompts skepticism and intrigue
Following a decade of health IT acquisitions, including Rally Health, UnitedHealth is poised to carve out its own space in the sector with the launch of a portable medical record. Industry experts say the new offering is likely a PHR-EHR mashup, but qu…
American Hospital Association plans to sue CMS over final site-neutral payment rule
The hospital organization announced its intent to sue the administration for overstepping its boundaries just hours after the CMS released a rule implementing new site-neutral payments for clinic visits. However, physician groups applauded the agency f…
Judge sets timetable for HHS to clear its Medicare appeals backlog
A federal judge has agreed to set a deadline for HHS to clear out its Medicare claims appeal backlog. The American Hospital Association has been pushing the agency to more quickly eliminate the backlog for more than four years in the courts.
With more than $1B in Q3 profits, Express Scripts confident heading into Cigna merger
Following months of excitement around an acquisition by Cigna and being the subject of multiple lawsuits, the pharmacy benefit manager is optimistic about the months ahead and integration with its new parent company.
Cigna’s third-quarter profits reach $772M as it finalizes Express Scripts merger
CEO David Cordani highlighted several ratings and rankings that, he said, reflect the company’s dedication to its customers and clients—and that acquiring Express Scripts will only help it serve members more.
CMS modifies proposed changes to E/M codes, delays implementation until 2021
While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services moved ahead with parts of its plan to consolidate codes for Medicare patient visits, it made changes in response to the thousands of comments it received from doctors who worried that the plan would cu…
Hospitals aren’t the only ones with price variation. New research shows payers have large discrepancies, too
Negotiated prices, even for the same service at the same hospital, vary widely depending on the payer, the authors found—and it could be a sign that the market isn’t working the way it should.
