A roundtable discussion sponsored by Georgetown University and featuring some of health policy's leading lights was supposed to help illuminate a path to universal health coverage, but as it turned out, participants at best stumbled across a few guideposts that might point the way. Among them: It would be wise to play down discord over the relative roles of government and the private sector in expanding coverage. Read more »
Expressing concern about access for rural and other beneficiaries, lawmakers at a Senate Finance hearing signaled the chamber may take a cautious approach to reducing Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle also said plans that are operating efficiently and improving care should not have their payments cut. Read more »
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) lent its backing to the growing number of health policy leaders who seek to tackle rising health costs by researching health care services to identify which provide the best value. Read more »
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule it said would increase the accuracy of Medicare payments for inpatient hospital care while improving its quality. The 1,204-page proposal also aims to notify the public about the financial involvement of referring physicians in doctor-owned specialty hospitals. Read more »
If former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is successful in his presidential bid, he has a plan to overhaul the American health care system. The main themes: boost preventive care and healthy habits, while increasing efficiency through the use of electronic health records. Read more »
Some 600,000 severely disabled Americans waiting the required two years to qualify for Medicare go into debt or skip health care during that period, according to a report by the Medicare Rights Center and The Commonwealth Fund. Read more »