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April 30, 2019
Published by Nikki Golden at April 30, 2019
Categories
Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives which – if enacted – would narrow the “Stark” law’s exceptions and have a direct impact on the services provided by physicians who self-refer for the performance of certain designated health services. The 2019 bill is similar to previous proposals. If enacted, the bill would strengthen the Stark law by excluding specified complex “non-ancillary services” from the Stark law’s in-office ancillary services (IOAS) and physicians’ services exceptions, increasing penalties for violations, and adding compliance review provisions. With certain exceptions, the legislation would define non-ancillary services as: advanced diagnostic imaging studies; anatomic pathology services; radiation therapy services and supplies; physical therapy services; and any other service the Secretary determines “is not usually provided and […]
April 30, 2019
Published by Nikki Golden at April 30, 2019
Categories
The Trump Administration’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget includes extensive health-policy provisions. Medicare, Value-Based, and Related Reforms The Administration estimates that its Medicare policy reforms would save approximately $811 billion over 10 years. The Administration states that these proposals are “designed to improve value-based systems of care, exercise fiscal integrity, promote competition, reduce provider burdens, improve the appeals system, and address high drug prices.” Budget provisions that would result in significant Medicare savings include the following (savings are over the 10-year period of FYs 2020-2029): Site neutral payments between on-campus hospital outpatient departments and physician offices for certain services (e.g., clinic visits). [$131.4 billion] Payment for all off-campus hospital outpatient departments under the physician fee schedule (PFS) effective CY 2020. [$28.7 billion] Expansion of […]
March 28, 2019
Published by Nikki Golden at March 28, 2019
Categories
Medicare announced on March 1, 2019, that 800 hospitals will be paid less by Medicare this year because of high rates of infections and patient injuries. The number is the highest since the federal government five years ago launched the Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, created by the Affordable Care Act. This year, 110 hospitals are being punished for the fifth straight time. The penalties pit hospitals against one another in a race to prevent the most infections, blood clots, cases of sepsis, bedsores, hip fractures and other complications. Each year, the quarter of general hospitals with the highest rates are punished, even if their records have improved from the previous year. Under the announced sanctions, each hospital will lose 1 […]
March 28, 2019
Published by Nikki Golden at March 28, 2019
The FDA Food and Drug Administration announced a sweeping plan on March 8, 2019, to review and address the safety of surgical staplers. In a letter sent to health-care providers Friday, the FDA said it will convene an advisory meeting on the safety of the devices and signaled that it might reclassify surgical staplers to put them under tighter control. The agency also said it plans to issue proposed recommendations to companies that make the devices, which are used in countless surgeries. The FDA also acknowledged in its letter that “we are aware that many more device malfunction reports during this time frame” were submitted as “summary reports,” which go to the FDA but are not included in the public database known […]