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Wyoming became the first but not the last state to ban the use of ills for abortions. At the same time he signed this law the Wyoming governor without his signature let become law a measure that made doing abortions a felony as well as banning abortion pills. They are claiming that abortion is not healthcare but do leave an exception for rape, incest or dire risks to the pregnant patient's life.
South Carolina legislators are pushing legislation that would make those who receive an abortion subject to the state's homicide laws including the death penalty.
California wants to use Medicaid funds to help pay "transitional rent" He needs to get Biden's approval to do this. He says it "will be cheaper than to allow people to fall into the crisis or costly institutional care in hospitals, nursing home and jails." I do not know how there is direct connection but apparently he does so he can use more money the state does not have.
The California Governor has another wonderful idea. He wants to make insulin cheap for all so has made a 10 year pact with a generic manufacturer to produce the cheap stuff. Problem is the producer has no plant to make the insulin and needs to either build one or buy a plant and refurbish it to make the insulin. There is also the small matter of regulatory approvals but the mouth who is Governor still roars.
The California state legislators are considering a bill sponsored by the California Chiropractic Association that would require physicians to share information on and offer referrals to non-pharmacological treatments for pain and confirm with patient signature. No increased burdens here?
California has fined Health Net $1.2 million for failure to pay claims to providers. They failedd to pay providers timely.
Iowa has a new law to cap non-economic damages. For hospitals it is $2 million and for all other providers it is $1million. Starting in 2028 those will be raised by 2.1%annually.
The American Hospital Association has pushed back against proposed site-neutral payment cuts, arguing
that they would reduce access to key healthcare services, particularly in rural and underserved
communities.
1. Hospital outpatient departments, such as hospital-owned clinics that provide complex cancer,
pediatric and mental health services, should not be paid the same Medicare rate as standalone
physician offices because HOPDs treat all patients who visit the facility, regardless of medical complexity
or income level, according to the AHA. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
PAYMENTS.
2. The hospital association argues that HOPDs are also held to more stringent licensing, accreditation
and regulatory requirements, and enacting site-neutral payments could force hundreds of outpatient
clinics to end or cut back on certain services, resulting in job losses and reduced access to care.
IF THEY ARE ALREADY LICENSED THE RELICENSING SHOULD BE THE SAME AS WITH ANY
OTHER HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT AND ONLY BE SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE
3. HOPDs provide services that are not otherwise available in the community for vulnerable patient
populations, according to the AHA. HOPDs are more likely to treat Medicare beneficiaries who have
both more chronic conditions and more severe chronic conditions; are more likely to have a prior
hospitalization and higher prior emergency department use; and are more likely to live in communities
with lower incomes. HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT MANY PHYSICIANS NOT IN A
HOSPITAL RELATED SERVICE DO NOT PERFORM THE SAME SERVICES. I BELIEVE MANY
DO.
4. The hospital group also argues that site-neutral payment policies endanger hospitals' ability to
provide 24/7 access to emergency care and standby capability and capacity for disaster response.
THIS IS OLD HAT.
5. Treating services as the same regardless of the site of care dismisses the fact that only certain
providers can care for the most acute, vulnerable and resource-intensive patients, according to the AHA.
The group noted that hospital providers are also the sole source of a range of high-acuity services,
including emergency and trauma care — the costs for which must be shared across all services
AGAIN OLD HAT AND OF NO RELEVANCE. Top
DISCLAIMER: Although this article is updated periodically, it reflects the author's point of view at the
time of publication. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Readers
should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the
information presented.