Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Officials Tighten Rein On Group That Accredits Hospitals
Modern Healthcare: CMS Shortens Joint Commission's Approval Cycle, Citing Survey Issues
The Joint Commission's program responsible for accrediting about 80% of the nation's hospitals was only granted two years of approval by CMS, with the agency citing issues with the survey process. CMS grants accrediting organizations that survey healthcare facilities for participation in Medicare and Medicaid approval for up to six years. This week, CMS issued a notice to the Joint Commission that its hospital accreditation program was only approved for two years or until mid-July 2022. CMS was explicit that the shortened approval period was based on "concerns" related to Joint Commission surveyor performance and comparability of the Joint Commission's survey process to the agency's. (Castellucci, 7/16)
In other news related to Medicare and Medicaid —
Politico: Democrats Use Inspector General Report To Renew Calls For Medicare Chief's Ouster
Congressional Democrats on Thursday condemned Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma after a watchdog report found she mishandled millions of dollars in government contracts, with some lawmakers renewing or issuing new calls for President Donald Trump to replace his controversial Medicare chief. The Health and Human Services inspector general on Thursday found that a set of contracts Verma approved with outside communications consultants violated federal contracting rules, concluding that the contracts were not appropriately managed and led to “questionable” payouts, like $150,000 for a canceled bus tour. (Diamond and Cancryn, 7/16)
Modern Healthcare: House Bill Would Cut Medicare Restrictions On Home Telemedicine
House telehealth caucus leaders have introduced a bill designed to make some telemedicine flexibilities promulgated during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent. Industry groups including the American Telemedicine Association and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society have already rallied around the proposal. (Cohen, 7/16)
