Many Medicare Patients Travel 50-Plus Miles for Neurology Visits
Nearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries who saw a neurologist traveled long distances for their office visit, 2018 cross-sectional data suggested. Out of over 563,000 Medicare beneficiaries with a neurologist visit that year, 17% traveled 50 miles or more one way for care, reported Chun Chieh Lin, PhD, MBA, of Ohio State University in Columbus, […]
CMS Facing Challenges Attracting Practices to Value-Based Payment Models
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to face a string of challenges in trying to attract more fee-for-service medical practices to Medicare’s accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other value-based purchasing arrangements. “Value-based purchasing programs link provider payments to improved performance by healthcare providers. This form of payment holds healthcare providers accountable for […]
CMS Must Work Harder to Get New Drugs and Devices Covered Quickly, House Members Say
Medicare needs to up its game when it comes to approving coverage for new drugs and devices, witnesses and members of Congress agreed Tuesday at a House hearing. “Despite the historic advancements in treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, the Biden administration has decided to limit access to these therapies through onerous coverage policies that require patients […]
Medicare to Start Taking Applications Next Month for a New Primary-Care Focused ACO
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin accepting applications next month for a new type of accountable care organization (ACO) that is aimed at attracting primary care physicians who have not participated in an ACO before. “Access to high-quality primary care is associated with better health outcomes and equity for people and […]
CMS Proposes 3.4% Cut in Medicare Physician Fees for 2024
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing a 3.4% cut to the “conversion factor” used to set the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2024, and physician groups are none too happy about it. “The proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) raises significant concerns for medical groups related to its […]
Should Hospitals Get Paid More Than Physician Practices for the Same Service?
WASHINGTON — Should hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) get paid more by Medicare than independent physician practices for providing the same care? Yes, they absolutely should, panelists said at a briefing here Monday sponsored by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Ashley Thompson, senior vice president for public policy analysis and development at the AHA, outlined several […]
MACRA Gets Mixed Reviews at House Hearing
WASHINGTON — The physician payment system instituted under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has brought some positive results but still needs to be improved, witnesses said Thursday at a House of Representatives hearing. “Despite the good intentions of policymakers, MACRA has not solved the issues with how Medicare pays doctors,” Joe Albanese, […]
MedPAC Recommends Cutting Admin Fees Paid to Docs Under Part B Program
Drug payments under Medicare Part B could be cut by reducing the administrative fees doctors get for dispensing medications in their office, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) said Thursday in its June report to Congress. “Our work on Medicare spending for Part B drugs is driven largely by the growth in spending between 2009 […]
Medicare Expected to Become Insolvent by 2031, Trustees Say
WASHINGTON — Interest groups here are sounding the alarm about a new report from the Medicare trustees that extended by 3 years the estimate for when the program would become insolvent. “Based on our best estimates, this year’s reports show that the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100% of total […]
Want to Fix Medicare Pay for Primary Care Docs? How About Two Fee Schedules?
How can Medicare payments to primary care doctors be fixed? Hoangmai Pham, MD, MPH, former official at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) during the Obama administration, has a few ideas. How about two separate fee schedules? “Rather than insisting that CMS govern fees for all physician services in one fee schedule, set […]