Jan 21 2012
Modern Healthcare reports that today's the last day to sign up for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' ACO program, which starts in April. Politico Pro, meanwhile, reports that a coalition of state hospitals is pushing the White House to address what they see as a "gaming of Medicare payments" that allows Massachusetts hospitals to collect higher Medicare reimbursements than other states.
Modern Healthcare: Last Day To Sign Up For CMS' ACO Program That Starts In April
Today is the last day to submit applications for the April 1 start date of the CMS' Medicare Shared Savings Program, the government's payment and delivery program for accountable care organizations. The CMS began accepting applications Dec. 1, and applicants will receive notice of their approval or denial by March 16, according to a timeline in the 21-page application. The application period for the program's July 1 start date runs from March 1 through March 30 (McKinney, 1/20).
Politico Pro: State Hospitals Want ACA Payment Fix
A coalition of state hospital associations wants the White House to address the financial impact of what they see as a gaming of Medicare payments by one state that has siphoned federal dollars away from all other states. Nineteen hospital groups are calling on the Obama administration to document the "adverse impact" of an Affordable Care Act provision that has allowed scores of Massachusetts medical centers to collect higher Medicare payments, effectively leaving less money for the rest of the hospitals in the nation. The groups want the administration to note the financial impact in its fiscal 2013 budget proposal, setting the stage for a fix later on (DoBias, 1/19).
Also in the headlines, the Chamber of Commerce says small business continue to fear the health law -
Fox News (Video): Poll Shows Most Small Businesses Fear Health Care Law
A new poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reveals an increasingly frustrated small business community worried about the impact President Obama's health care law may have on their bottom line. Nearly three-quarters, or 74 percent, say the new law is causing an impediment to job creation. Brad Close, vice president of Public Policy for the National Federation of Independent Business, said: "What they know so far scares them; worries them very much" (Bream, 1/19).
 This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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