Northwestern Medicine opens new outpatient center facility in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood
Northwestern Medicine formally opened a new $100 million outpatient center this week in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
Removal of prior authorization for certain mental health services signed into law
Gov. JB Pritzker signed off Tuesday on a plan that will remove prior authorization for outpatient and partial hospitalization for mental health services deemed medically necessary.
Senate approves removal of prior authorization for certain behavioral health services
The Senate signed off Thursday evening on a plan to remove prior authorization for outpatient and partial hospitalization for behavioral health services deemed medically necessary.
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 […]
Mail-Back Envelopes Will Be Dispensed With Outpatient Opioid Scripts
The FDA will require manufacturers of opioid drugs that are dispensed in outpatient settings to provide prepaid mail-back envelopes to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers, the agency announced Monday. The move is part of the FDA’s comprehensive approach to addressing the overdose crisis, according to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD. “We believe these efforts will […]
These Surgeries Made the Sharpest Turns to Outpatient Setting After COVID
Some common general surgeries had the biggest migrations to the outpatient setting during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a retrospective cohort study confirmed. Compared with the previous few years, calendar year 2020 saw disproportionately more outpatient cases of mastectomy for cancer, minimally invasive adrenalectomy, thyroid lobectomy, breast lumpectomy, minimally invasive ventral hernia repair, […]
Anticoagulation Again Flops for Outpatient COVID-19
CHICAGO — For outpatient COVID-19, prophylactic anticoagulation with rivaroxaban (Xarelto) did not improve outcomes in elevated thrombotic risk patients, the PREVENT trial showed. Compared with placebo, giving the direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) for 35 days in non-hospitalized patients with symptomatic COVID-19 who had at least one risk factor for thrombosis didn’t reduce thromboembolic events or […]
‘Concerning’ Opioid Prescribing in Patients With Cirrhosis
Nearly one in five patients with cirrhosis were prescribed opioids during outpatient visits, more often than not by a primary care physician (PCP), according to a national analysis of over 10 million ambulatory visits. From 2006 to 2016, 17% of all outpatient visits for patients with cirrhosis resulted in an opioid prescription, usually a refill, […]
Should Medicare Pay the Same Amount Regardless of Where a Service Is Provided?
WASHINGTON — Medicare should do a better job of equalizing payment for outpatient care across all settings — physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, and ambulatory surgical centers — but there still should be some allowances for different costs between sites, according to members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). “I think we do need […]