Category: Healthcare Finance News

Omnibus bill halts PAYGO cuts to providers

The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package expected to pass Congress this week prevents some Medicare cuts and the statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester, to the relief of the American Hospital Association. 
Hospitals were facing cuts of more than 10% to Me…

HHS Office of Civil Rights settles HIPAA access investigation with $20K settlement

The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced a $20,000 settlement with Health Specialists of Central Florida, a provider in Florida that provides primary care, concerning a potential violation of the Hea…

FDA approves first-ever bladder cancer gene therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Adstiladrin, which is being billed as the first gene therapy treating high-risk, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Mass General Brigham suffers $2.3 billion in financial losses

Mass General Brigham has reported a loss of $2.3 billion for the year due to challenges faced by all health systems over staffing expenses, inflation, a decline in discharges and other financial pressures.
The loss includes a nonoperating loss of $1.8 …

BCBS Massachusetts signs value-based contracts incorporating equity measures

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is touting itself as the first in the state, and one of the first in the country, to create a financial payment model rewarding health systems and physicians for eliminating racial and ethnic inequities in care.

Ethic, gender diversity increasing in medical schools

The number of Black, Hispanic and female applicants and enrollees continued to increase at U.S. medical schools in the 2022-23 academic year, according to new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
This year, the number of medical scho…

Proposed rule strengthens equity and behavioral health in Medicare Advantage program

For the first time, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing to establish a health equity index in the Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings program that would reward excellent care for underserved populations. The proposed rule …

Top Stories: Two VR companies combine to tackle behavioral health; NIH to inform study participants of health risks

Two virtual reality companies are set to combine. What effect will this have on healthcare? We’ll examine that and other news developments in this week’s Top Stories, including the NIH’s push to inform study participants if they have increased risks fo…

Legislation seeks to preserve soon-to-expire APM bonus

Two U.S. Senators, Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island and John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, have introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to create a two-year extension for a 5% bonus for doctors who participate in alternative payment models. 

BCBS Michigan kick-starts full-risk reimbursement arrangements with providers

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and six physician organizations across the state are launching full-risk reimbursement arrangements for their Medicare Advantage PPO and Blue Care Network Medicare Advantage plans, the insurer announced this week.