Choice of Health Plans to Vary Sharply From State to State
When a typical 40-year-old uninsured woman in Maine goes to the new state exchange to buy health insurance this fall, she may have just two companies to choose from: the …
Blogs
PAMS Response to Washington Post Editorial on Competitive Bidding
The Washington Post ran an editorial in the paper’s Sunday edition on June 16th encouraging CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to implement the Round 2 program. The Article can be viewed …
Blue Shield may Take L.A. Contract from Anthem Blue Cross
Blue Shield of California is poised to take a lucrative health insurance contract for city workers away from rival Anthem Blue Cross. The proposed three-year deal is still subject to …
Former CMS Head Berwick Announces Run for Massachusetts Governor
A former top White House administration health official, Don Berwick, formally announced Monday that he is running for governor of Massachusetts. Berwick is a physician and health policy expert who …
Central Maine Healthcare files suit against the state
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield wants to form a new insurance plan with MaineHealth. And it wants the state to keep the details of that plan secret as it …
Reminder: Face-to-Face Requirements take Effect July 1st
Beginning July 1st, physicians must document a face-to-face encounter exam with a beneficiary in the six months prior to the written orders of certain items of DME. According to the …
Penn State College of Medicine Awarded $1 Million Grant
The Penn State College of Medicine is among 11 institutions that has been awarded $1 million in funding from the American Medical Association in a program aimed at changing the …
MedPAC thinks Re-Admission Penalties Too Harsh for Hospitals
The financial penalties that Medicare imposes on hospitals with high rates of patient readmissions are too harsh for hospitals serving the poor and should be changed, according to a congressional …