Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hospitals Fight Medicare's Proposed Outpatient Payment Rule
Modern Healthcare: Another Reason Hospitals Hate Medicare's Site-Neutral Payment Plans
The rule, proposed in July, would eliminate Medicare payments to hospitals for most services provided at off-campus departments that came into operation after Nov. 2, 2015. Instead, the payments would flow to physicians starting on Jan. 1, 2017, making it difficult for health systems to recoup capital or operational costs for the facilities, even though they are responsible for continuing to equip and maintain the off-campus offices. (Teichert, 9/5)
San Antonio Press Express: Medicare Cuts Would Scorch Patients
Since scorching, triple-digit temperatures are the norm during the summer months in Texas, skin cancer is a significant public health issue here. Nationally this year, about 75,000 Americans will receive a diagnosis of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. Biopharmaceutical companies are hard at work developing medicines to treat this lethal and fast-spreading disease. But recent proposed changes to Medicare, the health insurance program for seniors, could put these medications out of the reach of Texans who need them most. (Weinberg, 9/4)
