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Compliance

This section focuses on health care compliance and regulations – both national and state – including the ACA. It includes changes in health care law, regulation, and court decisions and their impact on health insurance professionals, employers, and individuals.

U.S. COVID Public Health Emergency To Stay In Place

The United States will keep in place the public health emergency status of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing millions of Americans to still receive free tests, vaccines and treatments, two Biden administration officials said on Friday.

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Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs

Congress approved in August a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, along with free vaccines and other Medicare improvements. But the change came too late to add to the Medicare plan finder, the online tool that helps beneficiaries sort through dozens of drug and medical plans for the best bargain.

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Hospital Groups Tell Lawmakers Looming Medicare Cuts 'Not Sustainable' As Officials Come Back

As Congress returns this week from a nearly monthlong recess, a collection of hospital groups is making sure resolution of a looming 4% cut to Medicare payments doesn’t slip through the cracks. The groups, led by the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals, wrote to congressional leadership Monday calling for a waiver ...

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CMS Looking At Quality Metrics To Get ACA Exchange Plans Into Value-Based Care

Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace officials are hoping to get more plans into value-based care arrangements as regulators hope to not just build on getting people covered, according to federal officials. Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) spoke Thursday at the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Summit on value-based ...

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Exclusive: Russian Software Disguised As American Finds Its Way Into U.S. Army, CDC Apps

Thousands of smartphone applications in Apple (AAPL.O) and Google’s (GOOGL.O) online stores contain computer code developed by a technology company, Pushwoosh, that presents itself as based in the United States, but is actually Russian, Reuters has found. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States’ main agency for fighting major health threats, said it had been ...

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AI Algorithms, Strict Place-of-Work Rules Potential Trouble Spots for Employment Claims

Technological innovations and changing work arrangements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are among some of the emerging issues that can make employers vulnerable to discrimination lawsuits, a top employment practices defense attorney said Thursday. Barry A. Hartstein, co-chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Practice for the Littler Mendelson law firm in Chicago, ...

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A Post-Election Conversation with NAHU’s Janet Trautwein

Paul Roberts, Word & Brown’s Senior Director of Education and Market Development, hosted a conversation this week with Janet Trautwein, CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) and President of the NAHU Education Foundation, concerning the November 2022 election.

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Prices For The Same Scan At The Same Hospital Can Range From $134 To $4,065: Study

When it comes to price negotiations for healthcare services between hospitals and insurance companies or self-insured employers, hospitals appear to be winning big time, according to a study in Radiology.

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'Well-Intentioned, Poorly Executed Waste': How Tech Companies Aim To Reduce Billions In Wasteful Spending

Last year, the estimated Medicare fee-for-service improper payment rate was more than 6%, representing more than $25 billion in improper payments. Despite the historic low, the rate rose in some areas like skilled nursing facilities. Managing claims is difficult and complex. One recent study found that nearly a third of healthcare resources are tied up in administrative costs, taking focus away ...

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Consumers Need Better Communication From Their Health Plans, Survey Shows

More than half, or 58%, of health plan members are “overwhelmed” when it comes to managing their health plans. Insurers need to provide information in a way that's accessible and easy to understand, the report stated.

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