News Briefs
Congressional Extension of Telehealth Waivers Left in Limbo
Pandemic-era telehealth waivers that allowed providers to expand their virtual care footprint will end this year unless Congress takes action. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in its finalized 2025 Physician Fee Schedule that it won't extend most of those waivers any longer, putting back in place pre-COVID telehealth limitations.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-11-08)
READ MORE >
Study Says Telehealth Doesn't Increase Low-Value Care
As Congress approaches a decision on the future of telehealth regulations for Medicare, a recent University of Michigan study suggests policymakers may be able to set aside one major concern: the risk of telehealth leading to increased low-value care. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that primary care practices with high telehealth usage did not see a surge in low-value tests and procedures compared to those with less telehealth engagement.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2024-11-11)
READ MORE >
FDA Continues to Boost Approvals of AI Medical Devices
A wave of AI investment is helping drive innovation in medtech. In the first half of this year, the FDA approved 107 AI-powered medical devices, suggesting they were on pace to nearly reach last year's total.
(Source: Mondaq, 2024-11-06)
READ MORE >
AI Tool Aims to Better Manage Specialty Drug Spending
CerpassRx, an independent pharmacy benefit manager, is teaming up with Waltz Health to launch a new AI-powered tool that aims to better manage specialty drug spending. Called Intelligent Specialty Engine, the tool leans on Waltz's capabilities to offer clients real-time data analytics and management options that are designed to drive down spending, create greater transparency, and improve the experience for both the patient and the plan sponsor.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-11-07)
READ MORE >
Medical System Consolidation Changing Physician Compensation
The consolidation of medical systems and the increased enrollment in Medicare Advantage stand to impact physician compensation in the United States, according to new research. This decline in physician compensation in major metropolitan areas can have an effect on the growing number of workers in other medical occupations.
(Source: AJMC, 2024-11-07)
READ MORE >
Third Quarter P.E. Healthcare Deals Declined Again, Report Finds
Private equity dealmaking in healthcare services fell again in the third quarter, according to a PitchBook report. The market research firm estimated 148 P.E. deals were announced or closed in the third quarter, down from 185 last quarter, and total deal count in 2024 could decline 15 percent compared to last year.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-11-08)
READ MORE >
Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act Introduced
A bipartisan bill introduced in the House aims to provide much-needed relief for physicians by proposing a pay increase to replace scheduled Medicare reimbursement cuts set to take effect in 2025. The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act would give a 4.7 percent payment update in 2025 and eliminate the 2.8 percent Medicare physician payment cut that is set for January 1.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-11-07)
READ MORE >
Hospice Tax Status, Quality Indicators Could Impact P.E. Interest
Stakeholders and policymakers who shape the hospice industry are making connections between a provider's tax status and quality indicators. Their perceptions could have significant repercussions on the outlook of hospice investments.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-11-08)
READ MORE >
CMS Gives SNFs Until May for Revalidation Process
After being besieged by concerned skilled nursing providers and their national advocacy groups, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quietly extended a quick-turnaround deadline it had imposed for every U.S. nursing home to revalidate its ownership information. Providers will now have until May 1, 2025, to complete the additional paperwork needed to comply with the revalidation rule, which is part of the Biden administration's effort to increase ownership transparency and better understand relationships between owners, investors, and related parties.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2024-11-11)
READ MORE >
Program Helped States with LTC Worker Background Checks
A national background check program was so successful in helping states develop or enhance systems for conducting background checks of prospective long-term care employees that more than a quarter million prospective employees were disqualified from working in the sector, even after funding for the program ran out, according to a final report on the program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released a final analysis of the National Background Check Program for long-term care providers.
(Source: McKnight's Senior Living, 2024-11-11)
READ MORE >
Initiatives to Boost Community Health Worker Programs Spreading
Community health worker programs are spreading across the U.S., including in rural areas and small cities, as health providers and state and federal governments increasingly invest in them. These initiatives gained attention during the coronavirus pandemic and have been found to improve people's health and access to preventive care while reducing expensive hospital visits.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2024-11-06)
READ MORE >
