In a letter to the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR), America's Essential Hospitals responds to proposed changes to privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. OCR outlined the changes in a Jan. 21 proposed rule aiming to improve the transition to value-based care.

In a new HHS Office of Inspector General report, hospitals highlight challenges associated with the public health emergency — including barriers to care delivery and vaccination, staff burnout, supply shortages, and declining revenue — that have strained the nation's health care delivery system.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule as part of the agency's regulatory sprint to coordinated care.

The two rules, finalized Nov. 20, aim to eliminate barriers to care coordination and undue burden under current fraud and abuse laws. One provides exceptions to the physician anti-referral law, and one modifies existing safe harbor protections under the anti-kickback statute.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized rules in conjunction with HHS' regulatory sprint to coordinated care. The OIG rule modifies safe harbor protections; CMS’ rule targets undue burden of the physician self-referral law, or Stark law.

The final rule modifies several provisions to facilitate better care coordination and information sharing between providers treating patients with substance use disorder.

The changes aim to remove barriers to care coordination and allow additional information sharing for providers treating patients with substance use disorder.

The agency provides recommendations for resuming non-essential care for services that cannot be virtually delivered and for health care systems and facilities in regions with low incidence of COVID-19.

The rules, intended to increase interoperability and improve patients’ access to their health information, finalize provisions related to the MyHealthEData initiative and implement provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act.

CMS issued a request for information seeking input on coordinating care from out-of-state providers for medically complex children who are eligible for Medicaid coverage. The agency will use the information collected to produce guidance to state Medicaid directors.

The proposals aim to increase interoperability and improve patients’ access to their health information, while reducing regulatory burden on hospitals.

In response to a request for information, America's Essential Hospitals urges the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act encourages care coordination and reduces regulatory burden on essential hospitals.

The Department of Health and Human Services released a request for information on ways to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to improve care coordination, promote value-based care, and reduce regulatory burden on providers.

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

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

The new rule aims to help more accountable care organizations successfully participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Hospitals and other providers now have until May 20 to submit a letter of intent for the Next Generation ACO model, which carries greater risk but also offers greater rewards; applications are due May 25.

The Comprehensive Primary Care Plus model will encourage primary care practices to transform care delivery, including by increasing care management and coordination.

Under new model, providers will screen Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries for unmet social needs and connect patients to community services. Applications are due May 18.

Changes allow IHS and tribal facilities to enter into care coordination agreements with non-IHS/tribal providers to furnish certain services for AI/AN Medicaid beneficiaries.

National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan directs HHS to issue best practices for hospitals to ensure access to services for patients with HIV. CMS also will provide states with information on program flexibility to ensure access to testing, coordinated care.

Report on National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care details progress made toward better care, lower costs, and improved health.

Federal grants to 24 states will promote better integration of behavioral health and primary care services and improve quality and data reporting systems. The grants are the first phase of a Section 223 Demonstration Program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

Research shows how Medicaid coverage improves health and health care outcomes, and saves money.

Upfront and ongoing savings aim to encourage providers to form ACOs in rural and underserved areas and promote participation in models with greater financial risk. Applications accepted July 1 to July 31.

Nominations are due June 19. The work group will define terms related to alternative payment models and a strategy to track progress of APM implementation.

Roughly 48 percent of participating ACOs produced $121 million in total shared savings in 2013, with a net shared savings of $99 million

The model saved $384 million over a two-year time period and is the first alternative payment pilot to meet criteria for expansion to additional sites.

The agency will grant funding to 10 community organizations, government agencies, or community groups to spread health information to community partners.

The plan serves as a guide for federal departments and agencies to combat the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Funding is included in the president's proposed FY 2016 budget.

This new model will allow ACOs to take greater performance risks for greater financial reward, calls start March 31.

CMS will host a national provider call for ACOs interested in the 2016 program year.

Through CMS' new model, ACOs can take greater performance risk and receive a greater portion of savings through coordinated, high-quality care.

The Network will support the transition toward alternative payment models, using efforts in the Medicare Program as a guide.

Two videos provide overview and benefits, and expand previous ICD-10 resources from the agency

There is particular interest in mechanisms for greater comprehensiveness in care delivery, care for complex patients, care coordination, and value-driven reimbursement.

The Oncology Care Model is a multipayer payment and care delivery model designed to encourage high quality cancer care.

The funding will be allocated to up to 75 ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program to bring better care coordination to rural and underserved areas.

Hear members of our policy team discuss the association's recently released brief on innovative alternative payment models. These models focus on ways to replace or augment existing fee-for-service and managed care models, while also increasing efficiency, coordination, and quality of care.

Take a deep dive of our latest policy brief on waiver-based Medicaid programs, which details how essential providers work with their state and the federal government to carry out sustainable, systemic delivery system changes.

HHS announced recipients of Health Care Innovation Awards and a call for applications for the State Innovation Models Initiative. These programs were created through the Affordable Care Act to give stakeholders and states tools and flexibility to transform health care delivery system models.

ACOs allow hospitals, health care providers to improve quality, slow cost growth through coordinated care while sharing in savings

Will provide high-quality, coordinated care to about 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries

Measures are intended for voluntary use by state Medicaid agencies

Association urged committees to ensure payment system solution does not come at the expense of hospitals

Agency provides methodological considerations, questions for states to address in program proposals

CMS says all 32 pioneer ACOs improved quality, performed better than published rates in fee-for-service Medicare

Will support demonstration ombudsman programs to provide Medicare-Medicaid enrollees with more person-centered, coordinated care