Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
A new study released by the Centers for Studying Health System Change indicates that almost three-quarters of the nation’s physicians are still accepting Medicare patients. A relatively small fraction (3.4%) stated their practices were completely closed to all new Medicare … Continue reading Patients’ access to physicians under Medicare
Read More...While the rest of the country’s physicians have been fighting to keep their financial heads above water due in part to Medicare reimbursement issues, their colleagues in the northernmost state have been enjoying a rare display of Federal largesse. Showing … Continue reading Bridges to nowhere and physician reimbursement
Read More...Price-fixing, the bluntest of economic policy instruments, is enjoying a resurgence among health care policymakers at the national and state levels. In California, Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for physicians have been cut 5%, effective the first of this year. The cut … Continue reading Physician reimbursement cuts
Read More...The Senate Finance Committee has passed legislation designed to cut $10 billion over five years from Medicaid and Medicare programs. The vote was along party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats against the cuts. The changes, which now have … Continue reading Senate committee votes cuts in Medicaid and Medicare
Read More...The Senate is progressing rapidly on a plan to reduce Federal spending, with potentially significant effects on Medicare and Medicaid. Although Sen. Grassley (R-IA)’s efforts appear to be somewhat short of the support needed to pass, there is an air … Continue reading Changing times for Medicaid and Medicare
Read More...Pay for performance is likely to get a big boost from the Federal government. A bill linking physician pay under Medicare to reporting quality data will be introduced in the Senate before the end of the year, the first step … Continue reading Pay for Performance – Medicare initiative
Read More...There has been lots of news about Medicare lately; a good round-up is available at California HealthLine. News includes: Physician reimbursement – the current fee schedule expires in 2006, after which reimbursement is scheduled to decline by 5% annually … Continue reading Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services’ impact on private payers
Read More...Even though it’s just a small one, it is stilll significant. Rep Nancy Johnson (R) CT (my home state) is promoting a drastic change in the way Medicare pays physicians. Rep. Johnson is calling for a pay-for-performance scheme to replace … Continue reading Medicare pay for performance gets a push
Read More...Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan’s recent gloomy pronouncements about the potential impact of the federal deficit have focused even more attention on entitlement programs. Interestingly, Greenspan specifically mentioned governmental health programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, noting that their contribution to … Continue reading The Federal budget, the deficit, and provider reimbursement
Read More...The announcement last week that the Medicare Drug benefit will cost $724 billion over ten years, instead of the Administration’s original forecast of $400 billion, may be the long-awaited trigger for fundamental reform. Perhaps this is wishful thinking, perhaps not. … Continue reading Medicare drug costs – trigger for serious reform?
Read More...