Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Business Groups Bemoan Medicare's 'Step Backward' On Payments Based On Value
Forbes: How Trump's Shift From Value Depletes Medicare's Trust Fund
News that the Donald Trump White House is curtailing value-based care initiatives for Medicare could cost taxpayers billions of dollars. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week announced plans to slow the move away from fee-for-service medicine when it comes to paying for knee and hip replacements and eliminate other value-based care initiatives. ... the business community and those worried about Medicare’s solvency say hospitals and doctors have had plenty of time to prepare for bundled payment and other value-based initiatives started under the Obama administration. Slowing them will merely cost taxpayers money and more quickly deplete Medicare’s Hospital Trust Fund, which is projected to run out of money in 2029. (Japsen, 8/20)
Stat: Most Hospices Fare Well In First Public Release Of Medicare Quality Scores
For the first time, Medicare officials Wednesday posted quality scores for some 3,800 hospice providers on its new website, Hospice Compare, aimed at helping people select hospice facilities for themselves or others. In a press briefing Wednesday, Kate Goodrich of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said the effort will provide a “snapshot on the quality of care delivered by each provider” that will “help consumers make informed decisions.” (Clark, 8/18)
