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SGR Fix Bills Include Proposed Health IT Changes
A bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate introduced identical bills that repeal Medicare's notorious formula for setting physician pay and, have implications for health information technology.
A bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate introduced identical bills that repeal Medicare's notorious formula for setting physician pay and, in the process, attempts to avert a 21% rate reduction scheduled for April 1. There is likely to be a short-term patch needed to complete the negotiation before the deadline, but reports are that votes will be scheduled next week.
The legislation also would raise physician pay by 0.5% in the second half of 2015 and then each year from 2016 through 2019 while shifting Medicare reimbursement from fee-for-service to pay- for-performance. Medicare's incentive programs for electronic health records, quality reporting, and the so-called value-based modifier would be merged to reduce their administrative burden on physician practices.
See more from Medicity's Brian Ahier: http://bit.ly/1MUit8z
Hospital Participation in Medicare ACOs: No Change in Admission Practices and Spending
August 19th 2025Hospital accountable care organization (ACO) participation did not impact emergency department admission rates, length of stay, or costs, suggesting limited effectiveness in reducing spending for unplanned admissions and challenging hospital-led ACO cost-saving strategies.
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Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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Care Quality Metrics in Medicare During COVID-19 Pandemic
August 12th 2025Medicare Advantage outperformed traditional Medicare on clinical quality measures before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; mid-pandemic, however, traditional Medicare narrowed the gap on some in-person screenings.
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