Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Works To Tighten Rules In Nursing Homes, Rural Hospitals
Modern Healthcare: CMS Taking Steps Toward Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Requirement
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' announcement last week that it plans to start using payroll data to ensure nursing homes comply with staffing requirements is a move toward stricter regulation, experts said. Beginning Oct. 24, surveyors will use the Payroll Based Journal staffing data for inspections to ensure staffing requirements are met, such as having a registered nurse on site for eight hours per day or having licensed nurses on staff 24 hours a day. (Christ, 7/1)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes CoP For New Rural Emergency Hospital Model
Hospitals that participate in the new Rural Emergency Hospital model will have to meet criteria of participation similar to those for critical-access hospitals, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Thursday. Rural Emergency Hospitals would need to accept Medicare, have average lengths of stay of 24 hours or shorter, eliminate acute care inpatient services, have transfer agreements with Level I or Level II trauma centers and meet federal employee training and certification requirements, according to a draft regulation. ... (Kacik, 7/1)
In other health industry developments —
Modern Healthcare: Aetna Drops Prior Authorization For Most Cataract Surgeries
Aetna will no longer require prior authorization for most patients seeking cataract surgery. The insurer reversed the year-old policy for its 24.5 million members except Medicare Advantage enrollees in Georgia and Florida. The change took effect Friday, and came after the insurer reviewed a year's worth of data on the surgeries, an Aetna spokesperson wrote in an email. (Tepper, 7/1)
Stateline: As Drugmakers Cut Off Discounts, Providers Fret For Low-Income Patients
Hospitals and community and rural health clinics that serve low-income patients say drug manufacturers have threatened their financial stability by dramatically cutting back their participation in a federal drug discount program that saves those health providers millions of dollars a year. (Ollove, 7/1)
Modern Healthcare: Cigna Sells International Assets To Chubb For $5B
Cigna completed a $5.36 billion sale of its life, accident and supplemental benefits businesses in six countries to Chubb, the insurance company announced Friday. Cigna agreed to divest its accident, health and life business in Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand in October. These assets will boost Chubb's premium revenues by $3 billion, the property and casualty, accident and health, reinsurance, and life insurance company said in a news release. (Tepper, 7/1)
