August 23, 2012
There are few things I loathe more in the world than ice-breaking, "getting-to-know-you games." The problem is, though, I'm exactly the kind of person who often needs an icebreaker to get a conversation started, especially for conversations that are difficult to have.
In a set of recommendations published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, authors of a new report urge the federal government to accelerate the adoption of fee-for-service alternatives such as bundled payment programs.
June 27, 2012
Bundled payments mean that you can't escape the numbers. Hospitals want the data on why you're the best choice for post-acute care.
June 26, 2012
Even if the Supreme Court repeals the Affordable Care Act, its early reforms have already delivered promising benefits, according to former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D.
The Obama Administration is pushing the Senate Democrats to hold a confirmation hearing for Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, according to news reports.
December 06, 2011
On the heels of his departure from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Donald Berwick, M.D., said he came to Washington with an agenda to eliminate waste from the system.
November 29, 2011
Nursing home groups have shown strong support for the appointment of Marilyn Tavenner to replace Donald Berwick, M.D. as administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The Obama administration announced Monday the availability of $1 billion in grants for innovative healthcare organizations and projects that can train and hire workers quickly.
State Medicaid directors should refrain from making short-term cuts, and instead focus on long-term changes in partnership with the federal government, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said this week.
State Medicaid directors want more help from the federal government in implementing expanded Medicaid eligibility requirements, according to a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
Video footage of McKnight's Editorial Director John O'Connor interviewing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D. can now be seen at www.mcknights.com.
October 19, 2011
Improving the quality of care and targeting waste and fraud are priorities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, chief Donald Berwick, M.D. told a large group of long-term care providers Tuesday.
Current U.S. healthcare costs are unsustainably high for the relative value being provided — particularly for low-income individuals —Donald Berwick, M.D., administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Thursday.
Inpatient rehab facilities will see a 2.2% payment rate increase under the IRF Prospective Payment System in fiscal year 2012. The system will also establish a new quality reporting system authorized by the Affordable Care Act.
Medicare payments to nursing homes would be trimmed by 11.1% beginning Oct. 1, under a corrective proposal the federal government issued on Friday. The call for reduced funding comes amid reports that providers have been paid more than $2 billion above federal projections since a new payment system took effect late last year.
July 12, 2011
Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities increased unexpectedly by $2.1 billion (16%) during the first six months of fiscal 2011, according to a new report issued by the Office of the Inspector General. The OIG has asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick to take "immediate action" to correct this overpayment.
June 02, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule Wednesday that will reduce or prohibit Medicaid payments to doctors, hospitals or other healthcare providers for services that resulted in preventable healthcare-acquired illness or injury.
Seven Republican Senators have asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to withdraw a proposed regulation creating accountable care organizations, according to a letter released Tuesday.
May 12, 2011
A new program from the Department of Health and Human Services will seek to improve care of dual-eligibles, the agency said Wednesday.
May 11, 2011
As many as one in seven elderly nursing home residents, most of whom have dementia, are being prescribed expensive, powerful antipsychotic medications that increase the risk of death, according to a report from the federal Office of the Inspector General. Providers counter that the research reflects outdated practices.
Using funds from the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it has given 15 states $1 million each to help coordinate and improve care for "dual-eligibles." Many dual-eligibles (individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid) are in long-term care settings and are among the country's sickest and poorest individuals.
Health and Human Services Department Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of a new private-public alliance called Partnerships for Patients yesterday, saying it has the potential to prevent 1.8 million patient injuries and save the lives of 60,000 patients over the next three years.
Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services released long awaited proposed accountable care regulations yesterday, estimating it could save Medicare millions over the next three years.
A top deputy at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Tuesday that the agency hopes to issue draft regulations concerning accountable care organizations by the end of the month.
Embattled Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick received a shot of support recently from a number of high-profile colleagues in the medical field, according to news sources.
March 09, 2011
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), the lawmaker who would preside over any Donald Berwick confirmation hearing, has admitted defeat in the ongoing fight to keep Berwick in charge at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
February 11, 2011
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick surprised lawmakers Thursday when he reported better-than-expected Medicare Advantage enrollment numbers. In just his second occasion before a Congressional panel, Berwick appeared before the U.S. House Ways and Means committee to discuss how the Affordable Care Act will impact seniors.
February 04, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a new rule that would require an expanded class of providers and suppliers of Medicare services to alert beneficiaries to the existence of quality improvement organizations (QIOs). Previously, only hospitals and select others had been obligated to do so.
January 28, 2011
President Obama announced Wednesday that he has renominated Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, six months after naming him chief during a Congressional recess. The first time, Obama bypassed what promised to be contentious Senate confirmation hearings. But this week's move is expected to put Berwick back on the hot seat with many lawmakers.
Help is on the way for Americans who suffer from multiple chronic conditions, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
