Seven U.S. senators believe the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) proposed rule will not only cost more than estimated but will not accomplish the program’s goals. They want CMS to try again.
On Thursday, May 26, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its plans to eliminate regulations that are out-of-date, unnecessary, excessively burdensome, or that conflict with other rules.
Earlier this year, President Obama called for a change in culture to...Read More »
2024. Thirteen years. That’s how long Medicare’s trust fund is expected to last, according to the 2011 Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance...Read More »
“Publicly marketed hospital rating systems of surgical quality such as the US News & World Report ‘America's Best Hospitals’ and HealthGrades ‘Best Hospitals’… ratings fail to identify other high-volume hospitals of equal quality,”...Read More »
Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) reported doubled its recovery amounts since last quarter—$167 million in denials during the first quarter of 2011 up from $86 million reported during the last quarter of 2010,...Read More »
A mandate of the Affordable Care Act, CMS’ value-based purchasing (VBP) program will begin in fiscal year 2013, applicable to discharges occurring as of October 1, 2012, according to the program final rule and...Read More »
Nearly 500 healthcare quality professionals indicated that staffing shortages could be the biggest issue facing quality initiatives in the US, according to a poll from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) released May 3.
Improper coding of MS-DRG 813 (coagulation disorders), reporting an extensive operating room procedure unrelated to principal diagnosis (MS-DRGs 981,982,983, formerly DRG 468), and reporting the wrong diagnosis code or wrong principal diagnosis code for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease...Read More »