WMBB-TV, FL – Dec 29, 2008. “Medicaid fraud diverts valuable health care resources away from those who truly need the assistance, and we will not permit that to go unnoticed and … State AG: Colorado will get $1.2 million in fraud claim. Denver PostMedicaid fraud crackdown saves millions Bizjournals.comMedicaid Fraud Report Released WCTVKansas City infoZine – St. […]

HFMA.org – Dec. 24, 2008. In a study of adverse events affecting Medicare beneficiaries in two selected counties, the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that 15 percent of hospitalized beneficiaries experienced an adverse event during their hospital stays. In the report, OIG defines the term “adverse event” as […]

HFMA.org – Dec. 23, 2008. Changes to the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have significantly changed the way in which hospitals are reimbursed for fiscal year 2008. Major changes to IPPS include the continued phase-in of relative weights based on hospital-specific costs and new Medicare […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 22, 2008. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) on Thursday signed into law a bill that will prohibit health care facilities from requiring mandatory overtime of staff, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The law, set to take effect in July 2009, seeks to protect health care facilities from forcing nurses, technicians, technologists, certified nursing […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 22, 2008. As part of his proposed two-year economic stimulus package of between $675 billion and $775 billion, President-elect Barack Obama seeks to create or save three million jobs, his transition team announced on Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Nicholas, Los Angeles Times, 12/21). According to the New York Times, the […]

HFMA.org – Dec. 22, 2008. The right of federally funded healthcare providers to decline to participate in services to which they object has been affirmed in a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and published in the Federal Register. The final rule clarifies that non-discrimination protections apply to […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 19, 2008. The Louisiana Joint Health and Welfare Committee on Thursday unanimously approved a plan that would allow the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) to apply for a federal waiver to overhaul the state’s Medicaid program, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports (Moller, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 12/19). Under the “Louisiana Health First […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 19, 2008. While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics. To provide complete coverage […]

Kaisernetwork.org – Dec. 19, 2008. Many Medicare beneficiaries who use portable oxygen have expressed concerns that they will lose Medicare coverage of their oxygen supplies when a new CMS rule change takes effect on Jan. 1, 2009, Scripps Howard/Detroit News reports (Rauda, Scripps Howard/Detroit News, 12/19).  Click title to read more… The rule will limit […]