Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Official Suggests New Doctor Payment Formula Could Be Delayed
Modern Healthcare: Slavitt Suggests MACRA Could Be Delayed
CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt told lawmakers Wednesday that the agency is considering delaying the start date for Medicare payment reform, which is set to go into effect Jan 1. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Slavitt said the CMS is concerned that some physicians, particularly at small practices, may not be ready for the changes under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act that replaced the much-maligned sustainable growth-rate formula. (Muchmore, 7/13)
Morning Consult: CMS Still Tweaking New Medicare, Children’s Health Reimbursement System
CMS issued a rule with guidelines for implementation of the Medicare payment reform law in April. [CMS Acting Administrator Andy] Slavitt said the agency is listening to stakeholders and considering ways to improve the final rule. “There are a variety of ideas that have been coming to us, and they’re really all on the table at this point,” Slavitt said. (Owens, 7/13)
Kaiser Health News: Younger Seniors Amass More End-Of-Life Care Than Oldest Americans, Study Finds
Americans in their 80s and 90s are not the ones amassing the largest medical bills to hold off death, according to a new analysis that challenges a widely held belief about the costs of end-of-life care. Younger seniors — those with potentially longer expectancies — are. (Bluth, 7/14)
Morning Consult: Hatch Eyes Movement On Stark Law Changes By Year’s End
The Senate Finance Committee could take action before the end of the year on updating a health care fraud law that physicians say complicates the health care delivery system. Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said at the end of a hearing on the topic Tuesday that the committee would “try to do something about this before the end of the year.” ... While legislative time is limited this year, there’s bipartisan interest in addressing the issue. The Stark law restricts medical referrals of designated health services for Medicare or Medicaid patients if the physician or one of their immediate family members has a financial relationship with the entity they are referring to. (McIntire, 7/12)
The Denver Post: Hospice Care Provider To Pay $18 Million For Making False Claims To Medicare Hospice Funds
A Minnesota-based company that operates in Colorado will pay $18 million after falsely claiming Medicare reimbursement for patients who were not eligible for hospice care. Evercare, now known as Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, settled a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department alleging that the provider knowingly submitted or caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare for hospice care from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2013. (Cleveland, 7/13)
