The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a notice of proposed rulemaking as they seek input on how to expand their Rural Health Care Program. The FCC aims to ensure rural healthcare providers get the support they need while guarding against waste, fraud, and abuse in the program....
Congress has continued to struggle to come to an agreement on long-term government funding. Just as Congress ended their 2017 session, they voted to approve more short-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. This funding will last until March, longer than other short-term funding...
A U.S. District Court Judge ruled against hospitals’ request for an injunction against a CMS regulation that takes effect January 1, 2018, that cuts 340B drug payments under Medicare Part B. The payment cut is 28.5%. The judge ruled that the hospitals didn’t have standing as the rule had not...
PBS spoke with experts to analyze the potential impact of the most recent tax bill on the health care industry. More information will come as the most recent bill is finalized and shared publicly, but their analysis is helpful as we consider how it will...
House Committee on Veterans Affairs passed their legislation making permanent the Veteran's Care in the Community and Veterans Choice Programs. Committee Chairman Phil Roe released the statement following the bill's passage: "For the last eleven months, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has worked tirelessly on behalf...
The Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a review of the Rural Health Care (RHC) program which provides funding for rural telehealth expansion in order to improve patients' access to health care in rural areas. The vote includes a one-year increase in the $400 million budget...
VA Secretary David Shulkin released a statement yesterday urging Congress to pass legislation before the end of 2017, when funding for programs which allow veterans to receive health care in their communities, will run out. These programs received a temporary extension in funding in August...
A University of Michigan study shows that Critical Access Hospitals are not engaging in advanced Electronic Health Record (EHR) use. Specifically, CAHs are less likely to utilize EHR's performance measurement and patient engagement data. Read more about the study and its findings below. [button link="https://ehrintelligence.com/news/critical-access-hospitals-unlikely-to-engage-in-advanced-ehr-use" hover_type="default"...
76 U.S. Representatives from 27 states and D.C. have now signed on to legislation led by David McKinley (R-WV) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) to roll back a new CMS 340B payment reduction regulation that takes effect January 1. Hospitals are urged to contact their Reps and...
The Senate, on a 51 to 49 vote, passed its tax reform bill in the early hours of Saturday, December 2, containing numerous provisions impacting health care. Click here for the 479-page Senate tax bill (last minute floor amendments are not included). Click here for a Washington Post summary...