News Articles and Studies

Older News Articles

Studies, Reports & Tools

• Tool Helps Hospitals Plan for Critical Care Surges During COVID-19 (RevCycle)

• RAND Critical Care Surge Response Tool
• Related: Stanford Potential Long-Term Intervention Strategies for COVID

• Consistent hospitalist care linked to better patient outcomes, study finds (Beckers)
• JAMA Study: Association of the Work Schedules of Hospitalists With Patient Outcomes of Hospitalization
• Study:Trends in Use of Medical Imaging in US Health Care Systems and in Ontario, Canada, 2000-2016 (JAMA)
• Related: Clinician-Level Predictors for Ordering Low-Value Imaging
• Study: Cooling The Hot Spots Where Child Hospitalization Rates Are High: A Neighborhood Approach To Population Health (Health Affairs)
• Resource Utilization Low Among Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia (Psychiatry Advisor)

• Study Abstract: Service Use Following First-Episode Schizophrenia Among Commercially Insured Youth

• The American Journal of Managed Care® Examines How Chronic Hepatitis C and Its Treatment Affect Medicaid Costs (Business Wire)

• The Study: Assessing the Burden of Illness of Chronic Hepatitis C and the Impact of Direct-Acting Antiviral Use on Healthcare Costs in Medicaid

• Suicide's Link to Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care (USNews)

• Study:Suicide Among Older Adults Living in or Transitioning to Residential Long-term Care, 2003 to 2015 (JAMA)

• Hospital Discharge Algorithm Saves $860 Per Patient Episode and Reduces Readmissions, According to New Data from Remedy Labs (Businesswire)

• Study:Association of Decision Support for Hospital Discharge Disposition With Outcomes (AJMC)Jama Report: Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries (JAMA)

• Dartmouth study reveals how ACOs use home visits to improve care and reduce hospital use (MedExpress)

• CMS unveils new rural health strategy:CMS Rural Strategy 2018

• Mortality Lower When Inpatients See Their Own PCP in Hospital (Beckers)
• Study: For Inpatients, Primary Care Docs Outperform Hospitalists – A closer look at data showing lower mortality when patients cared for by their own PCPs (MedPage Today)

• FRG report highlights hospital’s failures, Some board members say budget cuts not enough (OAOA)  

• Yale: Collaboration of Health Care and Social Services May Decrease Medical Costs and Visits (ASPPH)

• Study links Blue Cross' big size to Michigan's low hospital prices (Detroit Free Press)

• Study reveals high healthcare costs linked with acute kidney injury (EurekAlert)

• Heroin hospital discharges surpass those due to prescription opioids, Stanford study says (Stanford Med Scope)

• 2017 Employer Health Benefits Survey (KFF)

• Major teaching hospitals produce lower mortality rates than non-teaching hospitals (Fierce Health)

• Summary Article on Study Results (JAMA)

• New AHA Report Finds Hospital Outpatient Revenue Nearing Inpatient Revenue, While CMS Proposes Paying Less for In-hospital Healthcare Services (DarkDaily)

• Teaching Hospitals Aren’t More Expensive Than Non-Teaching Peers  (RevCycle)

Study:Comparison of Costs of Care for Medicare Patients Hospitalized in Teaching and Nonteaching Hospitals (JAMA)

• Managed Care Programs Improve Care, Reduce Costs (Home Healthcare News)

• Survey Details

• FDA Approves Three Immunotherapy Drugs for Patients with Bladder Cancer (NIH)

• Skin cancer on the rise (Mayo Clinic)

• Full Text of Study Article (Mayo Proceedings)

• Surgery won’t help degenerative knee problems, experts say (Reuters)

• Full Text of Study Article (BMJ)

• GAO: Private Health Insurance Enrollment Remains Concentrated Among Few Issuers, including in Exchanges (GAO Report)

• Care shifts from physician offices to outpatient settings and costs go up, HCCI study finds (Fierce Health)

• Heart failure patients readmitted to same hospital may fare better (Heart Association)/
  Full Text of Study Article(JAHA)

• American Hospital Association Rejects Findings of New Health Affairs Hospital Pricing Study (Lexology)

• GAO Releases Report Addressing Post-Acute Care EHR Adoption (HIMSS)
• Retrospective study suggests ED physicians improving both outcomes and efficiency of care (MedExpress)
• JAMA Study Abstract: Trends in Mortality for Medicare Beneficiaries Treated in the Emergency Department From 2009 to 2016

• Annual Update of the National Health Security Preparedness Index: Preparedness Index assesses all 50 states & District of Columbia for health security and preparedness
• 
  
• Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Results:
• A View from the States: Key Medicaid Policy Changes: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020

'

• Messy, incomplete U.S. data hobbles pandemic response (Washington Post)

• Study maps hotspots of low-value care use at individual health systems (News-Medical)

• MDs Doing Wrong-Site Surgery: Why Is It Still Happening? (Medscape)

• Mississippi Certificate of Need Committee recommends loosening regulations on rehabilitation centers (Delta Democrat Times)

• The U.S. Health Care System Isn’t Built for Primary Care (Harvard Business Review)

• Rates of the most common form of liver cancer are rising in rural areas (MedicalXpress)

• Comparing the Cost-Effectiveness of Innovative Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (Medscape)

• Humana's reported rise in hospitalizations among seniors is a trend worth watching (HealthCareDive)

• Trends in the Concentration and Distribution of Health Care Expenditures in the US, 2001-2018 (JAMA Network)

• Study: 15M people could lose Medicaid coverage after COVID-19 emergency ends (FierceHealth)

• Use of Medicare’s New Reimbursement Codes for Cognitive Assessment and Care Planning, 2017-2018 (JAMA Network)

• North Carolina changes certificate-of-need law (Beckers)

• Hospitals lose legal challenge over changes to DSH payments (HealthCareDive)

• New tool can predict risk of death, hospitalization for patients awaiting cardiac surgery (MedicalExpress)

• Staying home, having access to primary care, and limiting contagion hubs may curb COVID-19 deaths (Eureka)

• Comorbid Insomnia Exacerbates Health Care Utilization, Cost Burden in Patients With Alzheimer Disease (AJMC)

• OIG: Medicare paid new hospitals 3 times more than older facilities for capital costs (FierceHealth)

• Hospitals, needing beds, decry Medicare Advantage practices (MSN)

• Private equity in the crosshairs (McKnights LTC News)

• Lawsuit alleges Mission Health HCA monopoly (MountainXpress)
• Since the Pandemic Began, 1 in 500 Americans Have Died of COVID-19 (US News)

• CMS axes hospital price transparency mandate from 2022 inpatient payment rule (HealthcareDive)

• CMS Proposes to Reverse Decision on 2021 Inpatient-Only List; Orthopedists Hope Total Joints Are Next (Medscape)

• FDA Panel Backs Pfizer's COVID Booster for 65 and Older, Those at High Risk (Medscape)
• Surgeons Cash In on Stakes in Private Medical Device Companies (KHN)

• Short-Staffed Nursing Homes Linked To More Readmissions, GAO Reports (Fyne Fettle)

• Highlights & Full Report:Emerging Nurse Shortages Due to Multiple Factors (GAO)

• Deaths from cardiovascular disease in the stroke belt surpasses rates elsewhere in the nation (MedicalXpress)

• Nursing home overhaul bill would boost staffing, oversight (SFGate)

• HCA sought monopoly market power with Mission Health deal, lawsuit alleges (HealthcareNewsHub)

• HCA hit with antitrust lawsuit (Beckers)

• Legislative Audit Council will look at South Carolina's Certificate of Need law (CenterSquare)

• Justice Department says it will not conduct probe into NY nursing home deaths during pandemic (Westchester News 12) Survival after cardiac arrest: Cardiovascular surgeons develop a new technique (MedicalExpress)

• Study finds mental health service shortfalls for children in high-income countries (NewsMedicalNet)

• Long-term care needs among retirees varies widely, new research shows (CNBC)
• Report Brief: What Level of Long-Term Services and Supports Do Retirees Need? (Boston College CRR)
• Catastrophic health insurance, an institutional tool against the financial risks of illness for susceptible people (The Lancet)

• A look at SCAN's new medical group for homeless patients (Fierce Health)

• CMS Proposes Rule to Increase Price Transparency, Access to Care, Safety & Health Equity (CMS)

• CMS pitches stiffening price transparency fines, halting end of inpatient-only list (Medtechdive)

• Medicare insurer can use discounts to encourage use of select hospitals, OIG says (Beckers)
• Montana DPHHS seeks public comment on proposal to expand behavioral health treatment services (Char Koosta News)

• As Offices Reopen, State Laws Thread Worker Privacy and Safety (Bloomberglaw)

• ‘Like A Ghost Town’: Erratic Nursing Home Staffing Revealed Through New Records (KHN)

• Hospital prices must now be transparent. For many consumers, they’re still anyone’s guess (Fierce Health)

• Rural Ambulance Services Are in Jeopardy as Volunteers Age and Expenses Mount (US News/Kaiser)

• How hospital volumes changed during the pandemic (Advisory Board)

• Hospitals respond to CMS' proposed inpatient payment rule: 5 key takeaways (Beckers)

• The Health 202: Congress is throwing a lifeline to struggling rural hospitals (MSN)

• Report on nursing homes, long-term care facilities paints bleak picture of economic crisis they face (NKY Tribune)

• Lifespan, Care New England merger will significantly alter' healthcare market, regulator warns (Healthcare Dive)

• Opinion: The nursing home crucible (KevinMD)

• What The Closing Of Another Hospital Pediatric Unit Could Mean For Chicago Parents (WBEZ Chicago)

• Better hospital nurse staffing could save lives, prevent readmissions and reduce costs (Medical.Net)

• At HCA-owned Chippenham Hospital – and others – patients pay thousands more at for-profit trauma centers (Richmond Times)

• UnitedHealthcare delays controversial ER policy following backlash (HealthcareDive)

• Biggest health insurer plans to deny ER bills if it doubts you had an emergency (ArsTechnica)

• Superior Court judge dismisses latest legal challenge against CON (Carolina Coast)

• Many surgery patients get opioid prescriptions, but many don't need to, study suggests (MedicalExpress)

• Health costs to likely go up 6.5% in 2022 as systems invest in supply chain, digital health (HealthPayer)

• Lawmakers are feeling pressure': States push ahead on public health insurance to lower costs, improve access (MSN/USA)

• Montana Med School Clash Revives For-Profit Vs. Nonprofit Flap (KHN)

• For-Profit Medical Schools, Once Banished, Are Sneaking Back (Century Foundation)

• Judge tosses Houston Methodist vaccine mandate lawsuit (Houston Chronicle)

• Why some COVID-19 patients suffer from low oxygen levels: 4 new study findings (Beckers)

• Some fear new Michigan no-fault auto insurance rule will force victims into nursing homes (Detroit FreePress)

• Tennessee governor signs off on unemployment, certificate-of-need reform (CenterSquare)

• U.S. Consumers Often Lack Literacy In Healthcare Finances (Forbes)

• In California, Nursing Home Owners Can Operate After They're Denied A License (NPR)

• COVID pounded nursing homes in a series of deadly outbreaks, says new GAO report (NJ.com)

• Covid-19: in Nursing Homes Most Homes Had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission from May 2020 through January 2021 (GAO)

• Hospital at Home: Delivering hospital-level care without the hospital (Hospitalist)

• Kaiser Permanente, Mayo team up on investment in acute care at home (HealthCareDive)

• At a Glance - Regulatory Advisory: Hospital Inpatient PPS Proposed Rule for FY 2022 (AHA)

• CMS inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) and long-term care hospital (LTCH) PPS proposed rule for fiscal year (FY) 2022

• Study:Medicare-Covered Older Adults Are Satisfied with Their Coverage, Have Similar Access to Care as Privately-Insured Adults Ages 50 to 64, And Fewer Report Cost-Related Problems (KFF)

• CON law elimination sets off inpatient rehab rush in Florida (Modern Health Care - Subscription required)

• Certificate-of-need reform passes Tennessee General Assembly (MSN)

• Study: Using deep neural networks and interpretability methods to identify gene expression patterns that predict radiomic features and histology in non-small cell lung cancer (Journal Medical Imaging)
• Unnecessary MRI exams may be symptoms of a larger healthcare problem (MedicalExpress)
• In efforts to speed up the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Biden administration has announced its support for waiving COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property (PhamrNews)

• EU Tepid on Biden Call to Waive Intellectual Property Rights for Covid-19 Vaccines (Wall Street Journal)
• Vaccine patent waivers face more hurdles despite Biden support (MSN/The Hill)

• Predictive Analytics Model Forecasts Disease Spread, Trends (HealthPayer)

• Study: A kernel-modulated SIR model for Covid-19 contagious spread from county to continent
• Related:Predictive Analytics Model Underperforms in Black Populations (HealthIT)

• Physicians in independent practice now minority in US (HealthcareDive)

• AMA Policy Perpsecitve:Recent Changes in Physician Practice Arrangements

• When hospitals buy physician groups, Medicare spending increases, study finds (Becker’s)

• Puzzling Hospital Ranking Report on Unnecessary Services: Based on Incomplete Data, Omits Important Clinical Details (AHA)
• HHS announces a new program will reimburse providers for administering vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that do not cover the service or cover with patient cost-sharing (RevCycle)
• CMS to Adopt Rules to Lower Health Care Costs in 2022 Federal Health Insurance Marketplace Plans (CMS)

• CMS Proposes $2.5B IPPS Rate Hike, With Eye on Rural, Health Equity (RevCycle)

• Assessment of Overuse of Medical Tests and Treatments at US Hospitals Using Medicare Claims (JAMA Network)
• How Lowering the Medicare Eligibility Age Might Affect Employer-Sponsored Insurance Costs (Peterson-KFF)
• Predicting Intensive Care Transfers and Other Unforeseen Events: Analytic Model Validation Study and Comparison to Existing Methods (JMIR)
• Hospital margins remain narrow in March as COVID-19 financial strain lingers (HealthCareDive)
• Health Affairs Article Misses the Mark on Physician-Owned Hospitals (AHA)

• Reversing Hospital Consolidation (Health Affairs)

• Medicare patients who receive care at hospital off-campus departments are more likely to be sicker and poorer than those at physician offices (RevCycle)

• AHA Study Summary: Comparison of Care in Hospital Outpatient Departments and Independent Physician Offices

• FDA to scrutinize unproven cancer drugs after 10-year gap (ABC News)
• In two separate studies, Mayo Clinic researchers leveraged genomic data to better understand the pathology of colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (HealthIT)
• Novel non-opioid approach to relieve pain after knee surgery (NewsMedical)
• HHS Secretary Becerra Approves Illinois Waiver Request to Extend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage (HealthPayer)
• New Survey Reveals How Hospital Supply Chains Affect Nurses, Patient Safety, and Margins (Health Leaders)
• CMS proposes 1.3% pay increase for skilled nursing providers — with plenty of strings attached (McKnights)

• Related: Medicare payments are slated to increase 1.8% for inpatient rehabilitation facilities and 2.3% for inpatient psychiatric facilities, according to two proposed rules from CMS (RevCycle)
• Proposed FY 2022 IRF Prospective Payment System rule (Federal Register)

• A new big data framework leverages epidemiological and socioeconomic risk factors to identify populations vulnerable to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases (HealthAnalytics)

• Study: Precision Mapping of COVID-19 Vulnerable Locales by Epidemiological and Socioeconomic Risk Factors, Developed Using South Korean Data (MDPI)

• Physicians reported that prior authorization programs delayed necessary care access and lead to poor patient outcomes during COVID-19’s peak (HealthPayer)

• 2020 AMA prior authorization (PA)physician survey

• Study: 1 in 3 women with prenatal Medicaid lack coverage before or after pregnancy (FierceHealth)

• A blood test made up of RNA biomarkers can tailor medication choices to individual patients with mood disorders, leading to precision medicine treatments (HealthIT)

• Abstract: Precision medicine for mood disorders: objective assessment, risk prediction, pharmacogenomics, and repurposed drugs (Nature: Molecular Psychiatry)

• Families With Sick Kids on Medicaid Seek Easier Access to Out-of-State Hospitals (KHN)
• Operating margins will be negative for more hospitals compared to the pre-pandemic period even if vaccine rollout goes smoothly and COVID-19 hospitalizations drop (Health Payer)

• COVID-19 in 2021:Pressure Continues on Hospital Margins (Kaufman Hall for AHA)
• Hospitals and Health Systems Continue to Face Unprecedented Financial Challenges due to COVID-19 (AHA)

• Working Paper: Does Private Equity Investment in Healthcare Benefit Patients- Evidence from Nursing Homes (National Bureau of Economic Research/nbrg.org)

• Biden Seeks $400 Billion to Buttress Long-Term Care. A Look at What’s at Stake (KHN)
• Some health insurers ending waivers for Covid treatment fees (MSN)
• UVA Health to drop thousands of lawsuits against patients for unpaid bills (Beckers)
• Study Finds Health Care Disparities in Who Enrolls in Oncology Patient Portals (AJMC)
• Texas hospital system may require employees to get COVID jab (Mercury News)Trends in Use of Low-Value Care in Traditional Fee-for-Service Medicare and Medicare Advantage (JAMA Network)
• Real-world data at UT Southwestern showed that vaccinating healthcare workers led to a significant reduction of COVID-19 cases among employees (Health IT)
• The Cost of Transferring Dialysis Care From the Employer-Based Market to Medicare (JAMA Network)
• Why some rural enrollees in Medicare Advantage are switching to traditional Medicare (MedXpress)Hinge Health’s State of MSK Report 2021 found that although patient outcomes remained stagnant in the past decade, cost for musculoskeletal care doubled (AJMC)
• Using Health Information Exchange Data Boosts Quality Reporting (EHR Intelligence)MACPAC’s Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP offers Congress a number of timely recommendations (MEDPAC)
• FDA launches dashboard to track adverse events linked to COVID-19 products (Beckers)
• WTW survey: Few employers think COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory for workers (Fierce Health)
• How the $1.9T COVID-19 Relief Package Impacts Medicaid, CHIP (HealthPayer)

• Related: Providers Blast Medicare Spending Cuts in COVID Relief Package

• AstraZeneca’s EU Vaccine Woes Deepen on Clots (Bloomberg)
• Cigna: Some COVID-19 patients report lingering neurological, heart conditions post-recovery (Fierce Health)
• Hospital Emergency Rooms:

• Emergency Rooms Struggle With Overdose Spike During Pandemic (KUT/NPR)
• Children hospital and emegency room visits in decline (WSMV)

• Study shows high risk of anxiety, burnout in emergency department healthcare workers from COVID-19 (MedXpress)UMN research links early iron deficiency with long-term mental health impacts (Minnesota Daily)
• Researchers are using genomic data to explore precision medicine treatments for patients with prostate cancer (HealthIT)
• Opinion: 2020 devastated US mental health — healing must be a priority (Hill on MSN)
• COVID-19 Lowered Medicare Care Utilization (HealthPayer)

• Related: For Medicare Patients, Race Has Greater Impact on COVID-19 Than Telehealth

• Strong and sustainable primary healthcare is associated with a lower risk of hospitalization in high risk patients (Nature)

• Take-at-home tests boost colorectal cancer screening tenfold for health center serving minorities (Med Express)

• Related: Delaying colonoscopy following abnormal stool test increases risk of colorectal cancer

• Oregon ASC Association argues against proposed bill to limit Mergers and Acquisitions (Beckers)New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s application to build a 66-bed facility in Scotts Hill North Carolina has been denied by the state (WECT)
• Many Uninsured Adults Have Not Tried to Enroll in Medicaid or Marketplace Coverage: Findings from the September 2020 Coronavirus Tracking Survey (RWJ)
• Payers that consolidate Medicare Advantage plans with lower star ratings into plans with higher star ratings deliver higher quality of care for enrollees who were previously in low-rated plans (HealthPayer)

• Related: Medicare Increases Access to Care, Affordability for Seniors

• Healthcare, once a job-creating dynamo in the U.S. economy, has shed 542,000 jobs since February 2020; 30,000 in January 2021 (Health Leaders)
• EHR Vendor Athenahealth Pays $18M to Settle Kickback Allegations (Medpage)
• BMA (Better Medicare Alliance) study offers recommendations to improve Medicare Advantage beneficiary surveys (Fierce Health)

• Study Report: BMA-Patient-Experience-Policy-Report

• 4 Vital Health Issues — Not Tied to Covid — That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill (KHN)
• If this self-sufficient hospital cannot stand alone, can any public hospital survive? (Modern Healthcare)
• Rural hospital closures add at least 20 miles to patient travel, GAO says (Beckers)

• GAO Report Highlights and Fast Facts
• Full Report : Rural Hospitals Affected Residents Had Reduced Access to Health Care Services (PDF)

• Rare Disease Healthcare Spending Tops Costly Chronic Diseases (HealthPayer)

• Study:The National Economic Burden of Rare Disease (EveryLifeFoundation)

• State-Level Managed Care Penetration in Medicaid and Rates of Preventive Care Visits for Children (Academic Pediatrics)
• Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) Guidance and Strategies for Evacuation Planning and Sheltering During Covd (National Academies - PDF)
• FTC begins investigation of physician group mergers and orders insurers to share data (Healthcare Finance)
• Reforms are coming to Indiana's nursing home system. Here's what they mean for Hoosiers (MSN)
• Treating 'fetus as the patient' could reduce the incidence of pre-term labor and premature birth (News-Medical)
• Approved drug could make radiation therapy more effective for head, neck cancer: study (MedicalExpress)
• COVID effect: Less than 80 Hospital mergers in 2020 (HealthLeaders)

• Related: Mass General, Wentworth-Douglass end push for merger with Exeter Hospital (Union Leader)

• More healthy patients are taking genetic test results to their docs; But there are some pitfalls (Fierce Health)Global organizations look past pandemic to other health crises (Atlanta Business Journal)
• JPMorgan, Amazon, and Berkshire Hathaway’s Health-Care Venture Dies. Costs Remain a Problem (Barron’s)
• CMS Home Based Hospital Care Wavier Called  “Enormous Step Forward” (HealthLeaders)
• UnitedHealth Group subsidiary indicted on antitrust charges (Fierce Health)
• FTC Loses Bid to Block Philadelphia Hospital Merger in Extraordinarily Busy Year of Hospital Merger Enforcement (National Law Review)
• In fight over drug discounts, HHS lawyer sides with hospitals (Med City News)
• New guidance from the American College of Cardiology provides a checklist for same-day discharge for elective percutaneous coronary interventions (Medscape)
• Hospital margins continue to fall amid rising expenses (Healthcare Finance)
• The thymus as key to healthy pregnancies (Eureka Alert)
• National Health Care Spending In 2019: Steady Growth For The Fourth Consecutive Year (Health Affairs)
• Study Findings: Despite greater social risk factors, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries receive more outpatient visits and more preventive screenings while seeing more appropriate use of prescription drugs and less unnecessary hospitalizations (BetterMedicareAlliance)
• Report: Building Better Care - The Role of Medicaid Managed Care in Long Term Services and Supports (AHIP)What Final Medicaid Value-Based Purchasing Rule Means for Payers (Health Payer)
• Seattle-based Virginia Mason merges with CHI Franciscan health system to operate 11 hospitals and nearly 300 care locations (Seattle Times)
• AHA reported that 89% of hospitals and health systems have experienced an increase in claim denials over the past 3 years, with 51% saying the increase has been “significant.” (RevCycle)

• AHA White Paper: Addressing Commercial Health Plan Abuses to Ensure Fair Coverage for Patients and Providers

• Study: Non-Profit Health Plans Need a New Medicare Advantage Strategy as Share Losses Widen (Chartis Group)
• Report: Primary Care Spending: High Stakes, Low Investment (Primary Care Cooperative)
• Who Didn’t Get a Second Shingrix Shot? Implications for Multidose COVID-19 Vaccines (KFF)
• GAO Issues Report On Artificial Intelligence In Health Care (Insurance News)

• Report:Benefits and Challenges of Technologies to Augment Patient Care (GAO)

• Policy Brief: Closing the Health Insurance Gap: Two Options for Connecticut and the Challenge of Affordable Coverage for the Near Poor (Connecticut Health Foundation)
• One in Four Kids Seen at Urgent Care, Retail Clinics in 2019 — Pre-pandemic snapshot may change after telehealth ramp-up (Medpage Today)
• CMS will implement 21 new ICD-10 procedure codes for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics; the agency also assigned MS-DRGs for 6 new ICD-10 diagnosis codes for conditions related to COVID-19 as of January 1, 2021 (RevCycle)

• Related: CMS Announces Comprehensive Strategy to Enhance Hospital Capacity Amid COVID-19 Surge (CMS)
• Characteristics of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Discharged and Experiencing Same-Hospital Readmission — United States, March–August 2020 (MMRW November 13, 2020 in PDF)

• Insurer Participation on the ACA Marketplaces, 2014-2021 (KFF)
• America's Essential Hospitals Issues Public Comment on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rule (Insurance Net)
• Study finds over 64% of people reported new health issues during 'work from home' (Eureka Alert)
• Medicare Advantage Enrollees Less Satisfied with End-of-Life Care (Hospice News)
• Justice Department: Medicare Advantage Provider to Pay $6.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations (Insurance News)
• What the New Rebate Rule Means for Medicare Part D Plans (Health Payer)
• Study: Association Between State Medicaid Expansion and Emergency Access to Acute Care Hospitals in the United States (JAMA Network)
• FTC sues to block Tenet's Memphis hospital deal with Methodist Le Bonheur (Health Care Dive)
• Massachusetts' Survey: Consumers Want Healthcare Price Information, But Few Realize It’s Available (Pioneer Institute)
• HHS Releases Final 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (RevCycle)
• CMS set to bump MA rates for 2022 in win for payers (HealthCareDive)
• CMS Finalizes Price Transparency Rule with Self-Service Tool (Health Payer)
• Medicare and Home Health: Taking Stock in the COVID-19 Era (The Commonwealth Fund)
• Providers seek extension of 2% Medicare sequester cut relief through 2021 (McKnights)
• Editorial: A Brief Window to Rethink Emergency Care (JAMANetwork)

• Related:Characteristics of Frequent Users of Three Hospital Emergency Departments (AHRQ)

• Pew Calls for Additional Health IT Safety Measures in Hospital Accreditations (PEW)
• Patient-initiated messages made up the majority of physician EHR inbox messages (EHR Intelligence)
• Investing in health literacy could save billions (Fierce Health)
• Redistribution of Federal Funding Across States Due to the Financing of Medicaid and CHIP [PDF] (Urban Institute)
• Key Considerations for Permanently Integrating Telehealth Coverage (HealthPayer)

• Joint Commission Issues Telehealth Safety Advisory (Medscape); Advisory [PDF] (Joint Commission)
• Open Enrollment Marks Shift Toward Virtual member Engagement (Health Payer)

• Study: Genetic data can help predict IBD risk (UPI)
• Medicare has new tool to compare nursing homes, costs, hospitals. How good is it? (Miami Herald)
• As the Pandemic Struck, a Private-Equity Firm Went on a Nursing-Home Buying Spree (Barron’s)

• CMS Care-Compare (Medicare)

• Telemedicine use in the ER can yield positive results for patients and providers (Medical Net)
• Proactivity and partnership pay off for nursing homes in a pandemic, study suggests (EurekaAlert!)
• Predictive Analytics Models Forecast Prevalence of Flu Strains (IT Analytics)

• Study: Integrating genotypes and phenotypes improves long-term forecasts of seasonal influenza A/H3N2 evolution

• Rescue service piloting program to help with substance use, mental health crises (Herald Mail)
• Hospital Readmission Rates Following Outpatient Versus Inpatient Shoulder Arthroplasty (Healio)
• Program to improve outcomes for geriatric surgery patients shows promise (Medical Express)

• Related: New program results in shorter hospital stays, reduces post-surgery delirium in older adults (MedicalNet)

• 100 things to know about ASCs | 2020 (Beckers)
• Penn Med, PHMC lead coalition to save Mercy Philadelphia Hospital (WHYY.org)
• GAO report finds brokers offered false info on coverage for pre-existing conditions (The Hill)
• ED, Inpatient Volumes Stuck Despite Some Hospital Visit Recovery (RevCycle)
• Transportation barriers to care may increase likelihood of emergency surgical intervention (Eureka!)
• MedPAC supports changes to the development of Medicare Advantage plan payment benchmarks (Fierce Health)
• Program to improve outcomes for geriatric surgery patients shows promise in a hospital setting (FACS)
• Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine (National Academies Press 2020)
• CMS'S Proposed Phase-Out of the Inpatient Only List is not Entirely Welcome News (National Law Review)
• Ransomware hack cripples Universal Health Services hospitals, facilities across the US (MSN)Related: Someone died because of ransomware: Time to give hospitals emergency security care (The Hill, Opinion)
• Private Payers Outpace Public Insurance in Value-Based Care Push (RevCycle)
• 2020 Scorecard on State Health System Performance (Commonwealth Fund)
• Cost, Health Literacy Cause for Concern Ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment (Health Payer)
• Census Bureau: Income, Poverty & Health Insurance Coverage in U.S.(Insurance Net)
• Op-Ed: Big data analytics in healthcare is all about ethics (Digital Journal)
• How Has Data Misuse Hurt COVID-19 Efforts? (Medscape)
• Partnering organizations are seeking to improve a provider’s ability to predict tumor response, leading to precision medicine in head and neck cancer care (IT Analytics)
• 66% of healthcare data breaches caused by hackers, HHS data shows (Beckers)

• 6 more health systems identified in Blackbaud security breach, bringing total to 27 (Beckers)

• Minnesota's second-largest health care data breach hits Children's, Allina (Star Tribune)The healthcare challenge: Protecting patient data privacy during a global pandemic (ITPro)
• Study finds disparities in receipt of home health care after hospital discharge (News-Medical Net)

• JAMA Network: Assessment of Receipt of the First Home Health Care Visit After Hospital Discharge Among Older Adults

• Cleveland Clinic, Aetna launch co-branded insurance plan, expand members’ access to second opinions and cardiac care (Cleveland.com)
• Even with Relief Packages,Hospital Operating Margins Still Down Since Start of 2020 (HealthLeaders)
• Many COVID-19 cost-sharing waivers set to expire by October (HealthCare)

• Brief:Cost-Sharing Waivers and Premium Relief by Private Plans in Response to COVID-19 (Peterson-KFF)

• HCA the largest U.S. hospital owner accused in lawsuit of endangering staff during coronavirus pandemic (CNBC)
• Data Reveals Disparities in COVID-19 Hospitalization Rates (HealthIT)Primary care physicians paid global capitation payments hit key quality metrics at higher rates that those paid via fee-for-service, according to UnitedHealth Group (RevCycle)
• Sentara Healthcare, Cone Health Announce Value-Based Care Merger (HealthPayer)
• Consolidation Of Providers Into Health Systems Increased Substantially, 2016–18 (HealthAffairs)
• As the Pandemic Struck, a Private-Equity Firm Went on a Nursing-Home Buying Spree (Barron’s)
• 340B Hospitals Lose Court Challenge to OPPS Rate Cut (AAMC)
• A routine ECG enhanced by artificial intelligence is better at identifying heart failure than a standard blood test (Health Analytics)

• Study: Evaluating dyspnea in the ED

• Government [Feds] moves to block Geisinger’s partial acquisition of Lewisburg-area hospital (PennLive)
• OIG: Mediare Overpaid Hospitals $267M for Post-Acute care Transfers to Home Health (Health Leaders)
• Emergency Department visits plunged as COVID-19 cases climbed, Yale study finds (Eureka!)
• CMS finalized 2021 Medicare payment rates for inpatient psychiatric facilities and hospices in addition to the $750M boost in skilled nursing facility reimbursement (RevCycle)
• Psychiatric visits to the emergency room rise despite the ACA (MedExpress)Study Using TriNetX Real-World Data Finds Cancer Screenings Fell 89% During COVID-19 (Newswire)
• HHS Extends Public Health Emergency (Revcycle)
• Early Impact Of CMS Expansion Of Medicare Telehealth During COVID-19 (Health Affairs)
• An Early Look at 2021 Premium Changes on ACA Exchanges and the Impact of COVID-19 on Rates (KFF)
• UVA pioneers study of genetic diseases with quantum computers (Newswise)
• Half of Hospitals to Operate in the Red By Year’s End (FierceHealth)
• Study identifies patient- and hospital-level risk factors for death in critically ill COVID-19 patients (MedicalExpress)
• Data Reveals Chronic Disease Burden Among Individuals with HIV (HealthAnalytics)
• Association Between Federal Value-Based Incentive Programs and Health Care–Associated Infection Rates in Safety-Net and Non–Safety-Net Hospitals (JAMA Network)
• Hospitalization for acute heart failure: the in-hospital care pathway predicts one-year readmission (Nature/Scientific Reports)
• Cost of preventable adult hospital stays topped $33 billion in 2017 (The Hospitalist)

• HCUP Statistical Brief #59, June 2020: Characteristics and Costs of Potentially Preventable Inpatient Stays, 2017 (HCUP)

• Preterm Birth Ups Mom's Long-Term Heart Disease Risk: Study (US News/Health Day)
• AHA urges CMS to keep relaxed regulations beyond crisis (HealthDive)
• Prior Authorization Burden Continues to Rise, Physicians Report (RevCycle)

• AMA Survey Summary (AMA)

• Court Upholds CMS’ Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule (HealthLeaders)

• Memorandum Opinion (US Courts.Gov)

• An Early Look at the Potential Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Health Insurance Coverage (Commonwealth Fund)Telehealth May Help Payers Control Uncertain Healthcare Spending (HealthPayer)
• Priority Health and Cigna (NYSE: CI) today announced they have formed a Strategic Alliance (Cigna)

• Related: Highmark Inc. and HealthNow New York Inc. Announce Affiliation Agreement (Highmark)

• Mercy Hospital Owners Exploring Options To ‘Transition Campus’ In Order To Keep Hospital Viable (MSN/CBS Philly)
• Related: City notified about potential closing of West Philly Mercy Hospital’s inpatient facility (WHYY)Psychiatric hospital rejected 3 years ago still wants to add Portland-area inpatient beds. Deep in ‘crisis,’ Unity says there’s no need. (OregonLive)
• NJ Legislators Call on [Govenor] Murphy to Intervene in Effort to Save Local Hospitals (Tapinot Bayonne)
• New model may help predict stroke risk in adults with migraine and aura (Newsroom)
• One in five operations may lead to surprise bills, even when surgeon and hospital are in-network (MedExpress)
• Kentucky Hospital Association asks to join lawsuit defending certificate of need law (Beckers)
• Study:Hospital Use Declines After Implementation Of Virginia Medicaid’s Addiction And Recovery Treatment Services (Health Affairs)
• National identifier not a 'panacea' for patient-matching, experts say (ModernHealthcare)
• Rural Health Disparities Linked to Socioeconomic Status, Care Access (Health Analytics)
• When Site-Of-Service Policy And Payment Reforms Converge: The Case Of Joint Replacement Surgery (Health Affairs)
• Why the New U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Is Important (USNews)
• NEJM: transcatheter aortic valve replacement shows similar safety outcomes as open-heart surgery (EurekaAlert)

• Related: Study clarifies pros and cons of open-heart surgery versus TAVR for treating aortic stenosis

• Preeminent Hospitals Penalized Over Rates Of Patients’ Injuries (KaiserHealthNews)
• Study finds association between therapy time, length of stay after hip fracture surgery (MedExpress)
• Colorado Healthcare Costs Keep Climbing Due to Hospital Cost-Shifting (RevCycle)

• Maryland Hospital Association Issues Comment on Medicare Program: Modernizing, Clarifying Physician Self-Referral Regulations (Insurance Net)
• Forced rate disclosure goes too far, insurers and hospitals argue (Modern Healthcare)
• Commentary: Nursing homes grapple with sick residents, insufficient budgets (TimesUnion)
• Preventable hospital death estimates are too high, study finds (Beckers)
• Florida Hospital Association launches price transparency initiative (FloridaPolitics)
• Details Sparse on [Governor] Murphy’s Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency (NJ Spotlight)
• Rising inpatient acuity may not mean patients are sicker, Mass. commission finds (ModernHealthcare)
• Patients Want A 'Good Death' At Home, But Hospice Care Can Badly Strain Families (KHN)
• Epic Systems, a major medical records vendor, is warning customers it will stop working with Google Cloud (CNBC)
• [West Virginia]House debates Certificate of Need bill (Weirton Daily)
• The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) is recommending that NIH dramatically revise its data sharing and management proposal to maximize the value of scientific data (HealthIT)
• EHR Data, Claims Data Can Successfully Predict Hospitalizations (RevCycle)
• Florida Legislature eyes more certificate of need' changes for care facilities (Tampa Business Journal)
• Proposed certificate of need' changes questioned at Michigan Senate panel hearing (Crains)Payer mix, patient volumes contributed to Astria Regional's financial issues (Yakima Herald)
• Opt-In Consent Policies: Potential Barriers to Hospital Health Information Exchange (AJMC)
• Minnesota law gives green light to safety surveillance cameras in senior homes (Star Tribune)To Stop Now Would Be Foolish': Doubling Down On Services For High-Cost Patients (NPR)

• NEJM Study Abstract: Health Care Hotspotting — A Randomized, Controlled Trial

• AHA, AAMC Sue HHS Again Over Outpatient Site-Neutral Payments (RevCycle)

• Filing (PDF)

• The 2010s have proved to be an important decade for healthcare innovation and reforms. Here are the top trends that defined the time readmissions, mortality (Healio)

• Here’s how ‘Medicare for All’ would affect every part of the $3.5 trillion US healthcare system (Business Insider)

Related:

• Opinion: What will happen to doctors and hospitals under Medicare-for-all? It's complicated (The Week).
• Rural Hospitals Say ‘Medicare For All’ Would End Up “Closing Our Doors” (WBUR)
• Hospitals Stand to Lose Billions Under ‘Medicare for All’ (NYT)
• Opinion: The risks of ‘Medicare for all’ (Boston Globe)
• Opinion:It’s time for Democrats to get their facts right on Medicare-for-all (Washington Post)

Health Reform/Medicare for All