Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Official Says New Medicare Payment System Will Not Hurt Small Physician Practices
Modern Healthcare: Slavitt Promises Flexibility, Mindfulness During MACRA Implementation
CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt told lawmakers that the agency's implementation of the new Quality Payment Program will be mindful of reporting burdens on small physician practices and allow for adaptability at the practice level. (Muchmore, 5/11)
Morning Consult: New Payment System Won’t Harm Small Medical Practices, Slavitt Says
Republicans and Democrats are encouraged that the new law governing Medicare payments to doctors is off to a strong start, members said at a hearing Wednesday. They were even happier when Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he doesn’t expect small or solo practices to be disadvantaged under the new rules. “Our data shows that physicians that are in small and solo practices can do just as well and actually do do just as well as physicians in practices that are larger,” he said. (McIntire, 5/11)
CQ Healthbeat: Lawmakers Question How New Medicare Pay Plan May Affect Doctors
Members of a key House panel on Wednesday questioned a top Obama administration official about what steps the Medicare program can take to ease the transition for doctors to a new system of payment, which will tie their reimbursement more closely to quality judgments. (Young, 5/11)
In addition, a federal watchdog reports on Medicare spending —
Bloomberg: Medicare Program Paid $125 Billion Improperly Over Three Years
The U.S. Medicare program sent out more than $125 billion in improper payments over three years for a plan that insures hospital and medical services for the elderly, including home health care, possibly triggering a congressional review. Improper payments from the plan, called Medicare Fee-For-Service, exceeded a threshold of 10 percent of total payments from fiscal 2013 through 2015, according to a report released Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Inspector General. After three consecutive years over the limit, the program is required by law to submit plans to Congress for re-authorization or returning to compliance, the report said. (Lauer, 5/12)
