Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Wants To Make It Easier For Consumers To Find Out If Nursing Homes Have Been Penalized For Abuse, Neglect
Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Abuse To Be Flagged On Medicare Quality Website
The CMS on Monday announced that it would make it easier for consumers to find out about nursing homes that have violated rules about abuse, neglect or exploitation. The agency's Nursing Home Compare website will add an icon next to nursing homes with reported violations starting on Oct. 23. The website provides detailed information about each Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the U.S. (Brady, 10/7)
Kaiser Health News: Trump’s New Order For Medicare Packs Potential Rise In Patients’ Costs
Vowing to protect Medicare with “every ounce of strength,” President Donald Trump last week spoke to a cheering crowd in Florida. But his executive order released shortly afterward includes provisions that could significantly alter key pillars of the program by making it easier for beneficiaries and doctors to opt out. The bottom line: The proposed changes might make it a bit simpler to find a doctor who takes new Medicare patients, but it could lead to higher costs for seniors and potentially expose some to surprise medical bills, a problem from which Medicare has traditionally protected consumers. (Appleby, 10/7)
Kaiser Health News: As Medicare Enrollment Nears, Popular Price Comparison Tool Is Missing
Millions of older adults can start signing up next week for private policies offering Medicare drug and medical coverage for 2020. But many risk wasting money and even jeopardizing their health care due to changes in Medicare’s plan finder, its most popular website. For more than a decade, beneficiaries used the plan finder to compare dozens of Medicare policies offered by competing insurance companies and get a list of their options. Yet after a website redesign six weeks ago, the search results are missing crucial details: How much will you pay out-of-pocket? And which plan offers the best value? (Jaffe, 10/8)
Meanwhile, in news on Medicaid —
Modern Healthcare: Illinois Sends People To Lowest-Rated Medicaid Managed-Care Plan
Illinois is funneling more people into the Medicaid managed-care plan with the highest turnover and lowest scores on state quality measures. The Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services sends 35 percent of new Medicaid enrollees who didn't request a particular plan to NextLevel Health. That ties CountyCare for the highest percentage assigned to any of the state's Medicaid managed-care providers. (Goldberg, 10/7)
