The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging has proposed a rule to create federal guidelines for long-term care ombudsman programs, to create more uniformity and address questions around ombudsman responsibilities, information disclosure, complaint resolution and conflicts of interest.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will expand Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act enforcement efforts in the next two years, according to OCR Director Leon Rodriguez.
Accountable care organizations and bundled payment initiatives are harbingers of the future healthcare system in the United States, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a speech on Tuesday. Sebelius addressed the American Medical Association National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.
Marking another step toward guaranteeing Medicare coverage for nursing home residents needing skilled services, a federal judge on Thursday approved the October 2012 settlement agreement in Jimmo v. Sebelius.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued an "omnibus" rule Thursday, comprehensively updating Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy and security regulations passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Answering the question on the minds of many state policymakers, the Obama administration said Monday it will not provide full federal funding for states that go only part of the way on expanding Medicaid.
Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have threatened to subpoena federal health officials to gain access to public relations contracts related to the Affordable Care Act.
Federal officials need to provide clearer guidance and offer a more streamlined protocol for providers willing to self-disclose Medicare overpayments, a leading long-term care group says.
August 08, 2012
Providers will save time and money through a proposed regulation that would allow providers to electronically post and reconcile payments from health plans, government officials said Tuesday.
A House Republican has doubts about a program created by the Affordable Care Act to test new care delivery models for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and dual eligibles.
The Department of Health and Human Services missed roughly half of its legal deadlines for implementing the Affordable Care Act, a new report from a right-leaning advocacy group asserts.
May 25, 2012
Medicare recovery audit contractors have not been diligent enough in collecting previously identified overpayments, a government investigation finds.
April 23, 2012
The Affordable Care Act will help Medicare save over $200 billion through 2016, according to government actuaries. But questions as to Medicare's long-term solvency remain, another report from Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees states.
The $80 million President Obama designated to Alzheimer's research could have more strings attached to it than previously thought, a key senator has said.
Two top Congressional Republicans are concerned that a report on federal Medicaid spending is thus far two months late.
February 29, 2012
Intensive lobbying paid off for assisted living groups vying for inclusion in the national Alzheimer's taskforce plan. The most recent taskforce plan includes assisted living in its strategy to assess and address the housing needs of those with Alzheimer's disease.
Physicians and federal investigators are concerned about a dramatic surge in Medicare spending for artificial feet for beneficiaries. While the number of diabetes-related lower limb amputations is falling, Medicare spending on artificial feet grew 60% in the last few years, according to an Associated Press investigation.
February 02, 2012
The House of Representatives repealed the CLASS Act on Wednesday night, although its future is far from clear. Many observers expect Republican efforts to repeal CLASS will die in the Senate, where there is likely not enough support to push through the Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act.
Adverse events for Medicare beneficiaries are underreported in hospitals, where incident reporting systems only capture about 14% of errors, according to a government report released Friday.
November 16, 2011
A government crackdown on improper payments in federal programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, cut wasteful payments by $17.6 billion in 2011, the Office of Management and Budget reported Tuesday. The administration's Campaign to Cut Waste saved $7 billion in Medicare fee-for-service payment errors between 2010 and 2011, according to the OMB.
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.
October 16, 2011
When the White House effectively killed the CLASS Act, the program's most vocal advocates dug in their heels in hopes of resurrecting the long-term care insurance program.
The fragmentation of the current healthcare system makes it difficult to measure quality among the dual-eligible population, according to a new report.
The White House has asked the Senate Appropriations Health subcommittee to halt all funding for the CLASS Act for fiscal year 2012.
The chief actuary for the Department of Health and Human Service's CLASS Act program has said HHS is shutting down its CLASS office and that he no longer has a job, according to published reports.
August 26, 2011
The Department of Health and Human Services wants to study nursing home patient assessment data to determine whether health information technology standards can improve coordination of care.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that it is awarding $352 million in grant money to help healthcare providers improve disaster preparedness efforts.
Healthcare provider organizations are asking the Department of Health and Human Services for guidance on implementing electronic health records under Medicare and Medicaid's "meaningful use program."
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.
Providers could be facing calls for cuts in benefits and demands for more effective drug purchasing in the wake of a letter from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to the nation's governors. Sebelius sent the missive as a reminder on ways states could more efficiently utilize their Medicaid programs.
