DOL Gets Backlash On Its New ‘Gig Worker’ Rule, Extends Comment Period

After several business groups complained about the original timeline of the DOL’s proposed independent contractor rule, the agency is now allowing interested parties 15 additional days to comment on the rule. The U.S. Department of Labor extended the deadline from November 28 to December 13. The proposed rule, released on October 11 (and published in the ...

Read More

Ambulance Company to Halt Some Rides in Southern California, Citing Low Medicaid Rates

For 23 years, the private ambulance industry in California had gone without an increase in the base rate the state pays it to transport Medicaid enrollees. At the start of the year, it asked the state legislature to more than triple the rate, from around $110 to $350 per ride. The request went unheeded. In September, American ...

Read More

Healthcare Operating Costs Rising Almost Everywhere, Report Says

Operating costs in healthcare centers and hospitals across the country are rising amid inflationary pressures, staffing shortages and supply chain disruption, and such locations are going to have to continue implementing measures to help mitigate the highly challenging situation, according to a report from the Medical Group Management Association. While revenues vary across locations, costs rose almost universally from ...

Read More

Medicare Fines for High Hospital Readmissions Drop, but Nearly 2,300 Facilities Are Still Penalized

The federal government has eased its annual punishments for hospitals with higher-than-expected readmission rates in an acknowledgment of the upheaval the covid-19 pandemic has caused, resulting in the lightest penalties since 2014. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has been a mainstay of Medicare’s hospital payment system since it began in 2012. Created by the Affordable ...

Read More

CMS Rule Seeks To Curb Delays In Medicare Coverage, Expands Special Enrollment Periods

The Biden administration issued a final rule that seeks to make it easier for beneficiaries to enroll in Medicare and curb delays in getting coverage. The final rule, released Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), would expand the number of special enrollment periods (SEPs) to let beneficiaries change their coverage outside ...

Read More

The Word & Brown Companies Named Among Business Insurance’s “Best Places To Work” For 2022

Business Insurance has selected The Word & Brown Companies among its “Best Places to Work in Insurance” for 2022. The award recognizes outstanding insurance-related employers for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work, and help the companies grow.

Read More
arrowcaret-downclosefacebook-squarehamburgerinstagram-squarelinkedin-squarepauseplaytwitter-squareyoutube-square