One report focuses on available treatment services for pregnant women and children, while the other analyzes states' medication-assisted treatment policies. The reports were mandated by the SUPPORT Act.
view more »The report includes recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for improved oversight of these waivers.
view more »A Government Accountability Office witness and several 340B Drug Pricing Program stakeholders testified last week at a House committee hearing; another House committee marked up several consumer-driven health care bills.
view more »The commission supports a national curriculum for opioid prescribers and state waivers to eliminate the Medicaid institutions for mental disease exclusion, among other recommendations.
view more »Expanded Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act might have helped patients seek treatment for behavioral health issues, which disproportionately affect low-income populations.
view more »Penny Thompson, principal at Penny Thompson Consulting and former deputy director of CMS' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, was named MACPAC chair.
view more »A per-capita cap would allow the federal government to limit Medicaid spending by allocating a specific amount of funding based on states' enrollees.
view more »These findings come from GAO, which also found that essential hospitals narrowed this gap over the study, overall performance during VBP's initial years didn't change, and bonuses and penalties were less than 0.5 percent of Medicare payments per year.
view more »GAO report identifies these challenges and reviews nonfederal initiatives to overcome them. Some of the initiatives suggest that criteria for EHR certification in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs isn't sufficient for interoperability.
view more »Recent narrowing of provider networks in Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, which privately offer one or more health benefit plans to Medicare beneficiaries, has caused concerns over whether MA enrollees can adequately access care.
view more »Sen. Grassley requested a hearing on recent 340B GAO report. House calls and clinical trials for Medicare patients each pass one chamber. Committees review Medicare hospital payments, HIT, and marketplaces.
view more »Report suggests financial incentive for hospitals to prescribe 340B drugs, a claim America's Essential Hospitals calls unfounded and troubling.
view more »Association challenges unfounded conclusions in report, including suggestion that hospitals overuse 340B for financial gain.
view more »As more and more states turn to Medicaid managed care, these types of data can help us fully understand how beneficiaries are being managed in this delivery system.
view more »Calls for HHS to establish specific criteria for approval, document how programs will address the health of low-income populations, and ensure federal funding is not duplicated.
view more »GAO found that CMS lacks adequate data to conduct provider-level oversight of Medicaid payments to ensure payments are used for Medicaid patients in an economical and efficient manner.
view more »GAO found that HHS did not ensure budget neutrality when approving Arkansas' Medicaid expansion waiver. Issues include lack of data to corroborate state assumptions and state flexibility to expand spending limits.
view more »GAO released a report recommending that CMS increase oversight of the Medicare claims review process and release additional guidance for contractors to increase efficiency and reduce duplicative claim reviews.
view more »Report says funding approaches lack adequate oversight; CMS counters with review of existing safeguards and effect of economic downturn.
view more »The GAO study found that private payers reimburse at higher rates than Medicaid for office visits, hospital care, and emergency care. The study was conducted with data from before the temporary increases in Medicaid reimbursement, which are set to expire at the end of 2014.
view more »GAO report notes, until data are more comparable, quantifying the impact of factors that drive cost is not possible.
view more »GAO released a report on the integrity of Medicaid managed care programs, detailing recommendations for CMS. The report identified potential gaps and duplication of program integrity efforts and listed recommendations, including additional oversight.
view more »The report found that all states varied Medicaid provider payment rates for some services
view more »Finds nearly 80 percent of money spent on information technology systems and consulting
view more »Change underscores member hospitals' importance to vulnerable patients, entire communities
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