The association strongly encourages essential hospitals to submit individual comments with specific examples of how your institution addresses social risk factors among Medicare beneficiaries; comments are due Nov. 16.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is waiving program requirements and suspending enforcement activities in Florida and Georgia.

Participating entities, including 832 acute-care hospitals, will receive bundled payments for certain episodes of care to promote value in care delivery.

The agency will publish accrediting organization (AO) performance data, redesign AO validation surveys, and share its annual report to Congress.

The Oct. 15 webinar will review how to use the new Medicare Cost Report e-Filing system to submit cost reports for fiscal years ending on or after Dec. 31, 2017.

A new notice makes technical and typographical corrections to the fiscal year 2019 Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule.

The frequently asked questions clarify the type and format of information that hospitals must post under new requirements finalized in the fiscal year 2019 Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule.

The proposal differs from a previously leaked version and expands the list of public programs for consideration in a public charge determination.

Cooperative agreements with seven organizations aim to develop, improve, update, or expand quality measures for Medicare’s Quality Payment Program.

America’s Essential Hospitals urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reverse policies that will result in significant funding cuts to essential hospitals and hinder access to care.

The Sept. 26 webinar will review requirements for submitting value-based payment approaches as an Other Payer Advanced Alternative Payment Model under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.

This funding supports initiatives under the agency's Five-Point Opioid Strategy and was distributed in conjunction with Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.

Essential hospital staff are invited to provide feedback on overall hospital quality star rating methodology during an Oct. 4 listening session; the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will use the feedback to inform future methodology updates.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services waived program requirements in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention issued guidance for treating carbon monoxide poisoning in hurricane victims.

The association urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adequately reimburse off-campus, provider-based departments and refine physician quality reporting to account for costs of care and the unique needs and patient populations served by essential hospitals.

New data show 472 accountable care organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program cared for 9 million program beneficiaries in 2017.

New resources from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthcare Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center outline new hacking and malware threats and prevention techniques.

Covered entities that fail to complete recertification by the deadline will be removed from the 340B Drug Pricing Program for a minimum of one quarter.

The hospital-specific reports, available for download through Sept. 24, use dual eligibility as the social risk factor for stratification of readmission rates within a hospital and enable comparison of differences across hospitals.

The toolkit includes strategies and examples to help Medicaid agencies prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters.

Leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions expressed concern that the Health Resources and Services Administration is not using its existing authority to ensure proper management of the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

In its response, the association encouraged federal regulators to revisit the Stark law with an eye toward easing barriers to care coordination and reducing regulatory burden.

The Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model seeks to target physical and behavioral health needs through prevention, early identification, and treatment.

The letter marks the first time the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has clearly described its budget neutrality calculation and represents its attempts to streamline the waiver process and control costs.

The new guidance outlines the types of rules association health plans must follow under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and reiterates that states and the Department of Labor have a joint responsibility to regulate such plans.

In an Aug. 16 bulletin, the agency announced it has decreased approval times for state plan amendments and Section 1915 waivers through a process improvement strategy and will continue efforts to streamline the waiver approval process.

The agency will not convene a proposed task force to reduce environmental risks associated with the care of psychiatric inpatients, opting instead to use findings from The Joint Commission special report on suicide prevention in health care settings.

A new proposed rule would create a pathway for accountable care organizations to more rapidly transition to performance-based risk.

The confidential reports, available Aug. 24, will allow hospitals to review two disparity methods that assess performance for patients with social risk factors.

Under the final rule , short-term, limited-duration insurance plans can be issued for up to 12 months, with a maximum duration of 36 months after renewals and extensions.

The special open-door forum aims to educate prescribers on federal resources and strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

The final rule increases Medicare inpatient payment rates to acute care hospitals by 1.85 percent, revises electronic health record requirements, and changes the payment adjustment methodology for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Hospitals have until Aug. 25 to preview their quality data before publication on the Hospital Compare website in October.

Senate action on opioid legislation has been delayed by the debate over the Supreme Court nomination and what to include in the final package; Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said senators likely will consider opioid legislation after the August recess.

The waivers allow each state to create a reinsurance program to lower premiums in the individual market; the waivers will take effect in 2019 and are approved through 2023.

A new proposed rule for Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System would broaden the scope of cuts to hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program and to off-campus provider-based departments; it also contains provisions related to quality reporting and transparency.

Hospitals will have until Sept. 12 to complete the recertification process through the Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System.

In the rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues a policy of reduced payments to new off-campus provider-based departments; the agency also provides updates to the Quality Payment Program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services extended to Aug. 8 the participation agreement deadline for the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced model and announced that participants can retroactively withdraw from the program in March 2019.

The project would waive Merit-based Incentive Payment System requirements for clinicians who participate in certain Medicare Advantage plans that involve taking on risk to better align such plans with fee-for-service Medicare.

Merit-based Incentive Payment System participants can request a targeted review of their performance feedback and final score if they find an error in their 2019 payment adjustment calculation.

The decision strikes down the state's overall Section 1115 waiver, which included community engagement and work requirements, but it upholds as a separate waiver a portion allowing Medicaid reimbursement for substance use disorder treatment in institutions for mental disease.

Several new or enhanced Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiatives are designed to improve Medicaid program integrity and sustainability through greater transparency and accountability, strengthened data, and innovative analytical tools.

CMS approved Oklahoma's proposal to advance Medicaid value-based arrangements with drugmakers in negotiating supplemental rebate agreements; The agency rejected Massachusetts' request to institute a closed formulary for Medicaid outpatient prescription drugs.

America's Essential Hospitals urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement its Medicare disproportionate share hospital payment methodology and quality measurement programs in a way that accounts for the unique needs and patient populations served by essential hospitals.

The brief reviews each type of Medicaid hospital payment, information on payment goals, and state-level data on fiscal year 2016 supplemental payments to hospitals.

A change brought by passage of the 21st Century Cures Act will ensure coverage for early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for children under age 21 receiving inpatient psychiatric hospital services.

The report provides updates on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, off-campus emergency department access, the physician fee schedule, population-based quality measures and incentives, and Medicare accountable care organizations, among other topics.

Medicare-eligible hospitals have until July 1 to apply for exception—and avoid a negative payment adjustment—for the 2019 payment adjustment year.

This year's Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission report focuses on the high cost of prescription drugs and the opioid epidemic.

The Department of Labor has issued a final rule expanding the definition of "employer" for purposes of establishing association health plans.

Modeled on a program developed at essential hospital St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, in Paterson, N.J., the Alternatives to Opioids bill is one of 25 opioid-related bills the House passed last week.

This finalized rule provides flexibility in determining episode spending for Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model participating hospitals affected by a major disaster, such as a hurricane or wildfire.

A blog post and road map highlight the agency's approach to the crisis, including prevention of new opioid use disorder cases and use of data to target prevention and treatment.

An informational bulletin outlines the role of Medicaid in the care of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, while a letter to state Medicaid directors offers guidance on funding Medicaid technology to combat the opioid crisis.

The June 19 webinar will explore the 2016 final rule on emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating health care providers, along with 1135 waivers.

The first Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program scorecard is intended to increase public transparency and accountability in the two programs.

This is the latest of several delays of a rule that provides guidance on the calculation of ceiling prices and imposes civil monetary penalties on manufacturers who knowingly exceed them.

To ensure Medicaid beneficiaries' access to quality care, America's Essential Hospitals urges CMS not to issue access monitoring review exemptions to states with high managed care penetration.

The dashboards, which show spending for drugs purchased in Medicaid and Medicare Parts B and D, for the first time include data on year-over-year price increases for individual drugs.

The association urged the Health Resources and Services Administration to immediately implement a final rule establishing the calculation of ceiling prices and imposing manufacturer civil monetary penalties.

The plan cites and builds on proposed changes to the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the president’s fiscal year 2019 budget, as well as damaging cuts implemented through the calendar year 2018 Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule.

The interagency effort targets obstacles to health care, including a fragmented delivery system and lack of specialty service access, faced by many rural communities.

New Hampshire is the fourth state to receive approval to incorporate work and community engagement requirements as a condition of Medicaid eligibility.

Hospitals have until June 2 to preview their quality data before it is published on the Hospital Compare website in July.

The proposal would delay by an additional year implementation of a final rule on ceiling prices and manufacturer civil monetary penalties in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Two new fact sheets clarify the application of privacy regulations under 42 CFR Part 2, a longstanding rule dictating how to share patient data related to substance use disorder.

The refresh includes data for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting, Prospective Payment System–Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting, and Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting programs.

The plan is required by the 21st Century Cures Act and is meant to improve federal and state coordination around the enforcement of parity laws.

A new proposed rule for Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2019 would increase inpatient operating payment rates by 1.75 percent.

The new model would allow providers to contract directly with patients, rather than contracting with Medicare or private insurers; comments are due May 25.

Clinicians eligible for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System can receive Improvement Activity credit for participating in a study on quality reporting burdens; applications are due April 30.

The webinar, intended for Medicare Part A providers, will include a presentation on the new Medicare Cost Report e-Filing system followed by a question-and-answer session.

Unlike previous data releases, this version of the tool allows users to view trend lines of the available metrics and health services areas.

The April 18 webinar will explain the benefits of voluntary submission in calendar year 2018, share reporting resources, and answer attendee questions.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers details on how Medicare Advantage plans might be affected by reimbursement reductions in the calendar year 2018 Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule.

Providers who submitted data through the Quality Payment Program website can review preliminary performance feedback. Final scores and feedback will be available July 1.

The reports provide estimated hospital-level proportions of dual-eligible patients, peer group assignments, and payment adjustment information using the program's new stratified methodology.

Reports by the National Academy of State Health Policy and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission point to new trends, including increased focus on reform, new financing mechanisms, and standardized evaluation.

Hospitals have until Aug. 22 to petition the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for inclusion on the list for the 2020 plan year.

A new analysis suggests specialty hospitals receive higher star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services than major teaching hospitals by reporting fewer quality measures.

The proposed rule would exempt states with high Medicaid managed care penetration from Medicaid access to care guidelines; 17 states currently meet the proposal's exemption requirements. America’s Essential Hospitals is analyzing the proposed rule and will provide written comment to CMS.

The three-pronged approach aims to reduce drug demand, cut off the flow of illicit drugs domestically and internationally, and expand opportunities for proven addiction treatments.

In its annual report to Congress, the commission also recommends curbing Medicare Advantage plan consolidation and evaluating telehealth services before including them in coverage.

This year's report includes the commission’s statutorily required annual analysis of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments, as well as chapters on Medicaid managed care and telehealth.

A federal court in Washington, D.C., vacated a final rule requiring Medicaid disproportionate share hospital limit calculations to include Medicare and commercial insurance payments; the court explicitly issued a decision with nationwide impact.

The new resources for Medicare-eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals include details about submitting data through QualityNet and information on clinical quality measures.

In a March 6 comment letter, America's Essential Hospitals urged federal officials to ensure association health plans have proper oversight and cover all necessary services for beneficiaries.

Under the approved waiver, Arkansas Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19 to 49 beginning June 1 must work or participate in community engagement activities for 80 hours per month to maintain their eligibility.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a frequently asked questions document about the new voluntary bundled payment model ahead of the March 12 deadline for applications.

Medicare-eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals now have until March 16 to submit attestation data and electronic clinical quality measure data.

The proposal extends to one year the maximum length of short-term, limited duration plans — up from three months, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is giving up to 10 states the opportunity to participate in the program to design, develop, and implement value-based payment approaches.

A federal court in Missouri ruled that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ April 2017 third-party payer DSH final rule is unenforceable. This decision is the first to invalidate the final rule.

Group reporting through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services web interface must be completed by March 16; all other Merit-based Incentive Payment System data must be submitted by March 31.

Senate Finance Committee leadership sent a letter to stakeholders requesting information on Medicare and Medicaid policy options that could be used to combat the opioid epidemic.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is awarding $8.1 million in targeted funding to assess and potentially alter states’ essential health benefits packages.

The table identifies which alternative payment models (APMs) are designated as Advanced APMs under the Quality Payment Program or the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.

The live session, on Feb. 8, will provide information on the upcoming transition to the QualityNet Secure Portal for hospitals participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved Indiana's request to incorporate work requirements in their Section 1115 Medicaid expansion waiver. This is the second waiver with work requirements approved by CMS.

The new cards will have a Medicare beneficiary identifier to replace the existing health insurance claim number, which was based on the beneficiary’s Social Security number.

Hospitals have until March 2 to preview their quality data before it is published on the Hospital Compare website in April.

The designation allows federal health agencies to allocate resources and hire specialists to combat the opioid crisis. The original declaration was set to expire on Jan. 23.

The agency expects to release comprehensive ligature risk interpretive guidance later this year for psychiatric units of acute-care hospitals and psychiatric hospitals.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will audit mid-build certifications this year and should complete all audits by December 2018.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the community engagement initiative, often referred to as work requirements, in a Jan. 11 letter and a frequently asked questions document.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host an information session and a series of four webinars in the coming weeks to provide information on new opportunities for states.

This year, there are 124 new participants, including 55 that will take part in the risk-baring Medicare Shared Savings Program Track 1+ model; Accountable care organizations now serve 10.5 million Medicare patients, up 1.5 million from 2017.

Researchers discovered two techniques, known as Meltdown and Spectre, that can circumvent data protections and potentially expose data on many computers purchased over the past decade.

The new rule is intended to improve care coordination and better align current rules with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The new system streamlines quality reporting through one portal; the data submission period runs from Jan. 2 to March 31.

The guidance defines courtesy discounts, defines when a bad debt is "written off," provides clarity about unpaid coinsurance and deductibles, and more.

The waiver extensions fund Texas' uncompensated care pool and delivery system reform incentive payment program and provide family planning services for low-income individuals in Mississippi for 10 years.

In response to an annual update to the Quality Payment Program, the association called for increased flexibility and risk adjustment for socioeconomic factors.

The final tax deal includes the repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, Advance Refunding Bonds and Private Activity Bonds.

Hospital staff participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program will learn how to register, attest, and submit measures using the QualityNet Secure Portal.

Hospitals serving low-income, underserved patients have until Dec. 22 to submit a petition for inclusion on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ final 2019 essential community provider list.

Republican leaders hope to introduce the final tax reform bill early next week; a bill to stop cuts to the 340B Drug Pricing Program has 130 cosponsors.

The association emphasized access to essential community providers within qualified health plan networks in its comments on the 2019 draft letter to issuers.

Tax reform legislation heads to a House-Senate conference committee. Meanwhile, a bill to delay Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts could be included in year-end legislation.

The calendar year 2019 draft letter to plans offered through federally facilitated marketplaces also provides deadlines for qualified health plan certification.

The association encouraged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure that state plans cover essential health benefits and include sufficient access to essential community providers.

The legislative priorities include a health care extenders package, tax reform, and a long-term funding bill. Also, bipartisan House legislation to halt 340B payment cuts now has more than 50 cosponsors.

The proposed rule increases flexibility for Medicare Advantage plans and implements the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

The guidance specifies rate reductions in Medicaid fee-for-service that will not require access reviews by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The House passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; the Senate version of the tax reform bill includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.

In response to the request for information, the association encouraged flexibility and a focus on hospitals treating high numbers of complex patients.

Hospitals that contract with or are owned by state or local government must now identify a government official to attest to the hospital's classification.

The new guide will help patients understand their mental and behavioral health, navigate treatment options, and find appropriate services.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will review December 2017 methodology enhancements and their impact on star ratings in a Nov. 30 webinar.

The updated standards focus on collaboration between health care providers and emergency management officials in the community.

In a speech to the National Association of Medicaid Directors, Administrator Verma also announced an initiative to create scorecards for Medicaid and CHIP outcomes.

The Quality Payment Program combines and replaces three separate clinician quality programs with a single system for clinicians that bill Medicare Part B.

The rule includes additional cuts to new off-campus, provider-based departments (PBDs), as well as physician payment and quality program changes.

Due to technical difficulties, the new 340B recertification period will run through Dec. 6; hospitals that already started the process must restart.

An agency bulletin instructs states on how to seek approval for state-directed payment arrangements and distinguishes directed payments from other payment models.

In a Nov. 2 Federal Register notice, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted final DSH allotments for FY 2015 and preliminary allotments for FY 2017.

CMS announced a new streamlined process to encourage state innovation through demonstrations and approved new demonstrations for New Jersey and Utah.

The rule cuts 340B Drug Pricing Program payments by $1.6 billion and requires hospitals to use modifiers to identify 340B drugs in Medicare claims.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services previously had extended the revision deadline to Oct. 31, following numerous changes to the worksheet S-10.

The emergency declaration expands telemedicine services to treat addiction and opens up the Public Health Emergency Fund, among other actions to combat the opioid crisis.

The quality measure data update excludes Hospital Compare overall star ratings, which will refresh beginning Nov. 3.

A bipartisan Senate bill would fund cost-sharing reduction payments; Congress has yet to renew funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

America's Essential Hospitals has compiled relevant immigration resources to inform essential hospitals about the rights of patients and providers.

In its comments, America’s Essential Hospitals recommended that CMS finalize the cancellation of the mandatory episode payment models, work with stakeholders to develop voluntary models, and more.

The five-year demonstration project, beginning Jan. 1, 2018, aims to strengthen substance use disorder care for state Medicaid beneficiaries.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' frequently asked questions document clarifies aspects of the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity final rule for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The document explains hospital payment adjustments under the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; adjustments are applied as a reduction to the hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System percentage increase for FY 2018.

Hospitals will have until Nov. 21 to complete the recertification process through the new Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System.

America's Essential Hospitals opposed the proposed payment model, which would have reduced Medicare payments to providers for Part B drugs.

Hospitals have until Oct. 31 to preview their quality data; CMS hospital-specific preview reports for overall quality star ratings will be available to hospitals in mid-October.

The emergency operations center was activated in January 2016 to respond to the harmful effects of the virus when contracted during pregnancy.

Hospitals use the worksheet S-10 to submit uncompensated care data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; the agency will begin using the worksheet to calculate Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments in fiscal year 2018.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not receive any letters of intent for the 2018 start date of the Medicare-Medicaid accountable care organization model.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will conduct field testing from Oct. 16 to Nov. 15 of eight episode-based cost measures for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.

The harmful payment reduction was included in the 2018 Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, expected to be finalized this fall.

Clinicians can participate in the first year of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System and avoid a negative payment adjustment if they begin collecting data by Dec. 31.

America's Essential Hospitals was among those urging the agency to suspend overall star ratings and examine concerns with the methodology.

The most recent delay to July 2018 comes after the Health Resources and Services Administration issued a proposed rule seeking feedback from stakeholders.

The new directive applies to Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, but the specifics vary by country.

Providers can register a new entity or contract pharmacy through the 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System through Oct. 16.

The committees were convened at the direction of the Department of Health and Human Services and include representatives from members of America’s Essential Hospitals.

CMS is seeking broad feedback on a new direction for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, with increased emphasis on patient-centered care and market-based reforms.

Affected providers will be exempt from reporting provisions of the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program.

The component enables manufacturers and covered entities to register for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, participate in annual recertification, and communicate with the Office of Pharmacy Affairs on pending tasks.

Merit-based Incentive Payment System–eligible clinicians and groups may apply for hardship exceptions due to connectivity issues or extreme circumstances, such as disasters.

The meeting came a day after the association submitted comments to the agency in response to the proposed annual update of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System.

The proposed rule would further cut payments to non-excepted provider-based departments to 25 percent of the Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rate and change certain quality reporting requirements.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other federal agencies have released several resources to help health care providers prepare for and respond to disasters.

The online course provides an overview of disaster preparedness and skills to gauge compliance with emergency preparedness requirements that go into effect on Nov. 15.

The Sept. 13 webinar for covered entities will focus on the registration component of the new Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is granting exceptions under certain Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs to hospitals and health care facilities in Federal Emergency Management Agency–designated major disaster counties.

The changes include optimizing the assignment of star categories, eliminating the removal of outliers, and ensuring only hospitals meeting public reporting thresholds are assigned star ratings.

The proposed reductions are set to take effect Oct. 1; the association recommended the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services protect state disproportionate share hospital payment allotments from total elimination, among other suggestions.

Substantial cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments are set to begin on Oct. 1; strong and immediate input from essential hospitals is vital to successfully secure another delay.

Nearly half of U.S. health care breaches in July were caused by hacking, marking the first time this year that hacking incidents outnumbered insider breaches in both frequency and number of affected patient records.

In response to a proposed annual update to the Quality Payment Program, America’s Essential Hospitals offered recommendations related to the merit-based incentive payment system.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is seeking comments on whether to further delay implementation of a final rule on ceiling prices and civil monetary penalties in the 340B Drug Pricing Program by nine months.

The newly released set of frequently asked questions relates to potential payment issues for Medicaid managed care patients in institutions for mental disease.

The first performance year was set to begin Jan. 1, 2018; America’s Essential Hospitals previously expressed concern about the scope and pace of the models.

The change aims to simplify data reporting for hospitals, as most already use the QualityNet portal for communications and quality data exchange.

The system will be unavailable from Aug. 15 until mid-September; hospitals are urged to verify contact information for authorizing officials and primary contacts in the system before Aug. 14.

Exceptions are available for Merit-based Incentive Payment System eligible clinicians and groups that experienced insufficient internet connectivity, uncontrollable circumstances, or other issues; applications are due Oct. 1.

The decision extends by five years the state's demonstration of a capitated Medicaid managed care program and a low-income pool to provide support for the safety net.

The announcement to allow revisions to fiscal year (FY) 2014 worksheets is important because the agency will use FY 2014 data to calculate FY 2018 Medicare disproportionate share hospital compensation.

The final rule updates Medicare inpatient rates to acute care hospitals by 1.21 percent, provides flexibility in reporting of electronic clinical quality measures, and changes the payment adjustment methodology for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Expanded Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act might have helped patients seek treatment for behavioral health issues, which disproportionately affect low-income populations.

The Hospital Compare refresh includes data on new measures; hospitals can preview their overall star ratings through Aug. 13.

The delay allows for implementation of a new online tool that will allow providers to register and recertify 340B sites and contract pharmacies.

A publicly released set of slides describes dramatic restrictions to CMS' budget neutrality policy for Section 1115 waivers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will allow hospitals to submit revisions to Worksheet S-10 of their Medicare cost report for fiscal year 2015 by Sept. 30.

Of the 303 performance measures submitted during the trial period, 65 were determined to have a conceptual basis for adjustment for social risk factors.

Aids provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services include fact sheets and overview documents, lists of alternative payment models, webinars and other educational tools, and support contacts.

The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for calendar year 2018 includes physician payment and quality program changes.

Essential hospitals, key providers of public health and emergency preparedness services, stand ready to support the nation's response to the spreading Zika virus. Find resources from the CDC and other experts here.

The proposed rule would increase outpatient payment rates by 1.75 percent and drastically reduce Medicare Part B reimbursement for drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The update calls for improvements to federal network cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, and an international engagement strategy.

Courts in Minnesota, Tennessee, and Virginia have ruled in favor of hospitals challenging the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' inclusion of Medicare and commercial payments in the calculation of disproportionate-share hospital payment limits.

This is the second Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver to receive approval; Alaska is pursuing the waiver to stabilize the state's individual health care market.

America’s Essential Hospitals has established this page of cybersecurity resources on preventing and responding to information technology attacks.

Researchers from George Washington University and The Commonwealth Fund found the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 could cause an estimated 1.45 million jobs to disappear by 2026.

In the bulletin on the Medicaid managed care final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it will use enforcement discretion based on state-specific facts.

A new strain of ransomware, known as Petya, could affect the health care sector and is unique because the virus is capable of self-replication.

Two new reports warn about the same vulnerabilities that allowed the WannaCry virus to spread worldwide earlier this year.

The brief projects Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment reductions under the Affordable Care Act and the House-passed American Health Care Act.

CMS proposes changes related to participation in the merit-based incentive payment system or Advanced Alternative Payment Models tracks.

The findings highlight the need for continued mosquito surveillance and can help health departments and mosquito control districts plan for outbreaks.

New Medicare cards will include a randomly generated Medicare beneficiary identifier instead of the Social Security-based health insurance claim number.

In a report to Congress, the commission details state solutions for improving care delivery, increasing treatment availability, and reducing opioid misuse.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's annual report examines various issues in the Medicare payment system and offers recommendations to Congress.

The fact sheet gives a general overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Quality Payment Program and explains how the programs work together.

The National Quality Forum draft report evaluates the effectiveness of the two-year trial that risk-adjusted performance measures for socioeconomic status.

The resources, designed for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-covered entities or their associates, include a checklist and infographic.

America’s Essential Hospitals encourages CMS to improve transparency, risk adjust, and reduce regulatory burden for essential hospitals.

The committee’s intentions remain unclear; we recommend essential hospitals prepare to publicly describe what auditors found and corrective actions taken.

CMS aims to eliminate or change outdated, costly, or inconsistent regulations for marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act.

The Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force outlines resources and the importance of cybersecurity to patient safety and continuity of operations.

The webinar on June 28 will focus on the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program's Reducing Substance Use Disorders program area.

States have until June 12 to complete an expression of interest form for the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program track.

The Vital Signs report notes ways to prevent the bacterial lung infection, which is fatal in 25 percent of people who contract it at a health care facility.

The deadline for Medicare- and Medicaid-providers and suppliers to meet applicable requirements of the rule, including training and testing, is Nov. 15.

Overall star ratings now will be released in October because of issues with data on three measures; hospitals can preview the ratings in July.

CMS predicts nearly all clinicians in advanced alternative payment models in 2016 would qualify for a 2019 incentive payment for participating in 2017.

The funds aim to increase the use of medication-assisted treatment, train first responders, and increase access to overdose reversal medications.

A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guide highlights technical resources for clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program under MACRA.

A white paper calls for a stop to impending cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments and recommends modernizing existing DSH policy.

The updates include guidance on reporting ransomware and note how Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance can protect from an attack.

The nine-month program will link up to eight state Medicaid agencies with local housing systems to aid Medicaid beneficiaries.

The final rule on drug ceiling prices and manufacturer civil monetary penalties under the 340B Drug Pricing Program now will go into effect on Oct. 1.

The first performance year for new cardiac episode payment models and the effective date of joint replacement regulation amendments now starts Jan. 1, 2018.

The new checklist tool helps states compile the necessary documents to apply to waive ACA provisions and pursue alternative reforms.

Ransomware, a type of malware that infects computers and restricts access to files until a ransom is paid, has hit health care organizations in the United Kingdom.

The webinar will focus on managing resources, setting priorities, engaging stakeholders, and anticipating needs during crises, such as disease outbreaks.

Several leadership posts — including FDA commissioner, National Coordinator for Health IT, AHRQ director, and HRSA administrator — have been filled.

Clinicians enter their national provider identifier into the tool to determine whether they must submit data to the merit-based incentive payment system.

Three new amendments garnered enough Republican support to pass the bill in a 217-213 vote; CBO has not scored the bill since the amendments were added.

The update for the 2018 performance year aligns electronic clinical quality measure specifications with current clinical guidelines and code systems.

The study found an outbreak affecting 10 percent of the populations of the most vulnerable states would cost $10.3B in lost productivity and medical expenses.

Penny Thompson, principal at Penny Thompson Consulting and former deputy director of CMS' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, was named MACPAC chair.

Rep. MacArthur (R-NJ) proposed an amendment to the AHCA that would have allowed states to opt out of several important insurance regulations.

A vote on the bipartisan bill could come Wednesday in the House, followed by Senate consideration before continuing resolution appropriations expire Friday.

CMS updated the Hospital Compare website with new data, including health care–associated infections and HCAHPS survey data.

In awarding the funds, HHS Secretary Tom Price committed to collaborating with states and seeking their “assistance to identify best practices, lessons learned, and key strategies that produce measurable results.”

America’s Essential Hospitals expressed support of the delay of episode payment models to allow selected hospitals more time to prepare for participation.

The rule contains provisions on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, Medicare DSH, the Inpatient Quality Reporting program, and more.

The test detects antibodies produced as part of the body's immune response to the Zika virus and is expected to produce initial results within 58 minutes.

It requires Medicare payments for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicaid, and other third-party payments be included in uncompensated care calculations.

When lawmakers return, they could attempt to make additional changes to pass the American Health Care Act, legislation to repeal and replace the ACA.

Over a five-year period, CMS will test the three-track AHC model, which aims to support health-related social needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Hospitals have until May 5 to review overall Hospital Compare star rating and until May 10 to review value-based purchasing hospital-specific reports.

Your members of Congress are back in their home districts through April 24, giving you an ideal opportunity to make your views known.

The agency estimates that MA organization payment rates will increase by 0.45 percent on average in 2018, with an expected average revenue increase of 2.95 percent when accounting for coding changes.

CMS finalizes the agency's interpretation that, in determining hospital-specific DSH payment limits, the total costs of care for Medicaid inpatient and outpatient services must account for all third-party payments.

The delay, which applies to certain hospital outreach labs, comes after stakeholders expressed concerns about the March 31, 2017, deadline.

Talks of a deal to resurrect the American Health Care Act — legislation to repeal and replace the ACA that was pulled in March — are underway.

The webinar and listening session, on April 4 and 5, will focus on MIPS' advancing care information performance category and cost measure development.

President Trump established the commission and ordered it to make final recommendations by Oct. 1; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will serve as chair.

The deadline for meeting all applicable requirements of the rule is Nov. 15; CMS will host a provider conference call on April 27 to review the rule.

House GOP leadership pulled the bill due to inadequate support; the association now resumes its focus on other hospital-related issues, including DSH cuts.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants total $110 million, with up to 11 awardees receiving up to $2 million annually for up to five years.

The American Health Care Act's Medicaid cuts would fall heavily on low-income states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

The rule affects the Advancing Care Through Episode Payment Models, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Payment model, and changes to the CJR model.

Samuel Ross, CEO of Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, testified at an event held by House Democrats on the Republican-proposed bill to repeal the ACA.

The replacement plan would make steep cuts to Medicaid and leave an estimated 24 million more people uninsured, compared with current law under the ACA.

This legislation is moving with unusual speed and could reach the Senate floor as early as next week if it wins House approval Thursday.

In addition to the merger, the organizations announced the release of a public health framework to guide patient safety efforts.

Health care professionals who provide chronic care management services often are not aware they are eligible for separate payments under Medicare Part B.

The letter affirms their desire to improve the Medicaid program and the vulnerable people it serves and to ensure the program provides value to taxpayers.

The blueprint also shifts CDC funding to a $500 million block grant and creates a Federal Emergency Response Fund for public health outbreaks, like Zika.

MACPAC's March report includes analysis on Medicaid DSH and impacts of the ACA on hospitals, as well as recommendations for the future of CHIP.

The American Health Care Act moves next to the House Committee on the Budget, which is scheduled to mark up the legislation on Thursday.

America’s Essential Hospitals has launched a new "Action" section with improved navigation, easy access to key resources, and other features.

The letter encourages states to pursue Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers, especially those including high-risk pool/state-operated reinsurance programs.

The FAQs outline how hospitals should complete the form's free-text field and clarify that the form must be issued to Medicare Advantage enrollees.

America’s Essential Hospitals expressed concerns about proposed changes that could harm the integrity of qualified health plan networks.

HRSA has delayed until March 21 the effective date of a final rule on drug ceiling prices and manufacturer civil monetary penalties in the 340B program.

A series of forums will provide information on the Next Generation ACO Model; a separate CMS webinar will outline the Medicare ACO Track 1+ Model.

The March 22 webinar will outline the agencies' roles in the expansion of the program model, next steps for organization considering offering it & more.

The list of 12 antibiotic-resistant "priority pathogens" is aimed at guiding and promoting the research and development of new antibiotics.

Draft GOP text for legislation to repeal and replace the ACA leaks; a Senate committee is poised to vote on the administration's CMS administrator nominee.

In a request for information, CMS seeks input on how to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

Hospitals will be required to provide the form and accompanying instructions to applicable Medicare patients starting March 8.

A leaked House GOP plan to repeal & replace the ACA raises concerns for essential hospitals. A Senate committee considered nominee Seema Verma to lead CMS.

CMS has pushed back by seven weeks, to June 21, the deadline for qualified health plans to apply to participate in the ACA health insurance marketplaces in 2018.

The delay is in accordance with a “regulatory freeze” set forth in a recent White House memorandum.

CMS has extended the deadline for submitting certain hospital quality data after receiving reports of system issues and inaccessibility with QualityNet.

Former Rep. Tom Price was confirmed as secretary of HHS; the Senate Committee on Finance will consider the nomination of Seema Verma as CMS administrator.

CMS projects that Medicare Advantage organization payment rates will increase by 0.25 percent in 2018.

A House subcommittee marked up two bills focused on income eligibility for Medicaid. The association weighed in on a hearing about the individual mandate.

The Feb. 7 letter offers recommendations on proposed executive orders, regulations, and legislation that could affect essential hospitals, patients.

Eligible hospitals and professionals now have until March 13 to attest to the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program.

America’s Essential Hospitals and 57 other groups say restricting admission of certain foreign nationals and refugees will disrupt care, health education, and research.

No agreements have been reached about a repeal/replacement plan for the ACA and it appears Republicans in both chambers are far from making final decisions.

The new guidance outlines how and when hospitals must deliver the notice, retention requirements, and how the notices intersect with state laws.

The second confirmation hearing was held for Rep. Price as HHS secretary and a House subcommittee held a hearing on the individual mandate's effectiveness.