Thursday, December 15, 2022: Payers

New data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that national health care spending grew by 2.7 percent to $4.3 trillion in 2021. Annual spending growth slowed last year compared with a 10.3 percent increase in 2020 when the federal government...

Thursday, December 15, 2022: Payers

CMS released a proposed rule to improve prior authorization processes for Medicare Advantage (MA) and implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price provisions. The rule clarifies when and how MA plans can use prior authorization and that once approved, the prior...

Thursday, December 15, 2022: Providers

A new Fitch Ratings report found that the unemployment rate in hospitals decreased from 1.8 percent in October to 1.3 percent in November. The report cites Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing hospital and ambulatory health services payrolls increased by 11,000 and...