Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
9% Of Adults Say They Would Delay Seeking COVID-19 Care Because Of Worries About Costs
The Associated Press: Poll: Cost Makes Nearly 1 In 10 Leery Of Seeking COVID Care
As states gear up to reopen, a poll finds a potential obstacle to controlling coronavirus: nearly 1 in 10 adults say cost would keep them from seeking help if they thought they were infected. The Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey out Tuesday finds that 9% of those age 18 and over would avoid seeking treatment because of concerns about the cost of care, even if they thought they were infected with the coronavirus. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/28)
Kaiser Health News: Health Insurers Prosper As COVID-19 Deflates Demand For Elective Treatments
As doctors and consumers are forced to put most nonemergency procedures on hold, many health insurers foresee strong profits. So why is the industry looking to Congress for help? Insurers say that while that falloff in claims for non-COVID care is offsetting for now many insurers’ costs associated with the pandemic, the future is far more fraught. (Appleby and Findlay, 4/28)
Modern Healthcare: HHS Creates Portal For COVID-19 Provider Reimbursement
Providers can request reimbursement through a new web portal starting May 6 if they have treated or tested an uninsured patient for COVID-19, HHS said on Monday.HHS will reimburse providers at Medicare rates for services dating back to February 4 if funding is available. Providers can claim reimbursement after they confirm the patient is uninsured, and if they agree not to balance bill the patient. (Brady, 4/27)
Modern Healthcare: Physicians Confused By Cutoff Of Advance Payments
CMS suddenly suspended advance Medicare payments for physician practices on Sunday, and some groups are concerned that other federal funding streams are uncertain. Physician groups including primary-care practices have been hard-hit by a dropoff in revenue from nonessential procedures. Many have already received some support from federal relief programs, but it's unclear how much more physician-owned practices will receive from a $175 billion provider grant fund and small business assistance programs. (Cohrs, 4/27)
And in hospital news —
Kaiser Health News: Amid Coronavirus Distress, Wealthy Hospitals Hoard Millions
Inova Health System, with campuses in some of the wealthiest suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Truman Medical Centers, a safety-net hospital in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, have little in common. But, today, they are confronting the same financial plague: mass cancellations of nonessential surgeries that are their biggest moneymakers while bracing for an expensive onslaught of coronavirus patients. (Rau, 4/28)
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Adapt Real Estate To Fit New Normal After COVID-19
Health systems are reassessing their real estate portfolios as they prepare for a post-COVID-19 environment that will likely feature more home-based care and remote working arrangements. Hospitals have been acquiring physician practices and merging with other providers, boosting the already significant amount of square footage they manage. But as the pandemic reshapes care delivery, health systems will likely reconfigure and pare down their brick-and-mortar space, real estate experts said. (Kacik, 4/28)
